Part: As the Sun Rises 1.2

"You know, sugar, if you want your special surprise sometime today you're going to have to get off me eventually," Dave murmured awhile later.

"Well, sweetie, if I'm going to get off you, you have to let go of me first," Lilian pointed out, nuzzling her chin against his the hollow of his throat.

"Oh, okay," Dave playfully pouted. "You win." He squeezed Lilian's waist gently before releasing his grip on her.

Lilian moved off of Dave, moving towards her bag. "What should I wear?" she asked.

"Wear your bikini under some hiking clothes," Dave told her, sitting up as well.

"So, where are we going?" Lilian pressed a few minutes later, smiling innocently when Dave rolled his eyes at her questioning.

"I told you, Lil, it's a surprise."

"Oh, all right."

"How much longer, sweetie?" Lilian panted slightly.

"Not too much," Dave told her, turning around, concerned. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just wishing I worked out with you more often," Lilian replied, wiping a stray piece of hair out of her eyes.

"You want me to carry you?" Dave asked, only partly joking.

Lilian flashed him a quick smile, and said, "Nah."

Ten minutes later, Lilian and Dave arrived at their destination. "Well, what do you think? Isn't it beautiful?" Dave asked, setting his bags down.

"Oh, Dave, it's stunning," Lilian breathed, taking in the sight before her. They were standing on a cliff near a waterfall that fell into a gentle river about twenty feet below, the water clear and crystal. As if that sight wasn't enough, the sun was shining brightly, making the water look like it was sparkling. "How did you find this place?"

"I was a real adventurous kid and I wandered off a few times when we went camping," Dave shrugged. "Sometimes I come here to swim, sometimes I pack a picnic lunch, and sometimes I just sit here and think."

"Who else knows about this?"

"Just me," Dave replied. "I wanted to keep it to myself, but I feel there's a special person in my life who I wanted to share it with."

"Who would that be?" Lilian nudged him with her elbow, and Dave grinned, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close to him.

"You, sugar," he answered, kissing her gently.

Once they broke apart, Lilian glanced down suspiciously. "How do you get down there to swim?"

"Well, there's two ways. The boring way is to go down the little hill over there," Dave gestured to a narrow path about ten feet away.

"What's the non-boring way?" Lilian asked warily.

"This." With that, Dave stripped his t-shirt off and kicked off his sandals and dove into the water.

Lilian watched anxiously as Dave swam upward and broke the surface. "Come on and join me," Dave called, wiping water out of his eyes.

"I don't know, Dave. I'm kinda scared," Lilian admitted, slipping off her shirt slowly, followed by her shorts and shoes. She tossed them in a pile next to his shirt.

"Aw, come on, sugar. You'll love it," Dave called, treading water. Seeing the doubtful look on Lilian's face, he challenged, "What, are you chickening out on me?"

"Oh, you're going to pay for that one." Dave knew she hated being called chicken, and he had called her on it, knowing she would take the bait. With a deep breath, Lilian closed her eyes and leaped off the cliff into the water, seconds later hitting water. She kicked upward and broke the surface, laughing as Dave swam toward her, encircling his arms around her waist. Lilian wrapped her arms around his neck. "That was fun," she told Dave, kissing him on the nose.

"I thought you'd like it, Ms. Dare Devil," Dave replied. They treaded water together for several minutes before Lilian spoke up.

"So, how often have you been coming to these mountains?"

"Since I was a kid. As far back as I can remember," Dave replied. "My dad would bring me here every summer.

"I'm sorry," Lilian said quietly when she heard the sad twinge in his voice at the mention of his deceased father.

With a sigh, Dave buried his face into the crook of her throat. "It's all right, sugar," he murmured.

"At least you have a good relationship with your mother now," Lilian pointed out.

Dave nodded, feeling slightly guilty when he realized how lucky he was to at least have one of his parents. Lilian had told him the, long, painful story about how her parents had pretty much disowned her when she joined the WWE. He knew she put up a strong front but hurt everyday because of her parents' ignorance at her choice of career.

Seeing Dave look somewhat guilty, Lilian quickly added, "Your mom is wonderful, Dave. She's like a mother to me."

"Yeah, she is pretty terrific," Dave said distantly. Glancing at Lilian, he smiled weakly. "Let's end this awkward conversation, okay, baby?"

"Yeah, let's have some fun for now." Lilian wiggled out of his grasp, pushing down on his shoulders. She caught Dave off guard, dunking him in the warm water.

Dave came up, sputtering. He got his bearings, glaring playfully at Lilian. "Ooh, you're going to pay for that," he warned, leaping after her.

Lilian swam quickly away, holding a good lead, but Dave's strength was enough to catch up to her easily. He lifted her over his shoulder, threatening to dunk her in the water. "Okay, okay, truce," Lilian giggled.

"You're lucky I'm a gentleman," Dave told her, gently settling her back in the water. He waited until she thought she was safe before dunking her in the water.

"Ooh, David, that was far from gentlemanly!" she grumbled when she came back up, shaking her wet hair out of her face, taking off after him. "I'm going to strangle you!"

Hours later, Dave and Lilian were laying side by side, watching the quiet water fall in the river. Lilian turned her head towards Dave, smiling. "Can you believe we've been going out for almost two years?"

"Yeah, this Saturday it'll have been two years," Dave answered casually.

"It's been a wonderful two years," Lilian remarked.

"Fantastic."

Lilian nodded in agreement, missing the sly smile on Dave's face. Little did she know he had another big surprise for her.

End Part 1.2