To quote one Joey Styles, "OH MY GOD!" Yes, tis Katy and Katie, here with a --gasp-- update? Wowzas! Seriously, folks, it's been awhile, so enjoy!

Oh, and break out the toothbrushes... that is all I will say!

"Hey, Lil."

"Hey, D." She didn't even bother turning from her position at the stove, watching the eggs cook.

Dwayne kissed Lilian's neck gently, pulling her closely to him as he did so. "How's your ribs?" he asked worriedly, running his hand over her lower back.

"They're fine," Lilian replied. "The heating pad and your magic hands really helped last night."

"Okay, if you say so," Dwayne replied doubtfully.

Lilian sighed, turning her attention from the stove. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him gently. "I'm fine," she whispered against his lips. "I promise."

"At least let me make it up to you?"

"How? Are we going to play one on one basketball or something?"

"Well, I was thinking something one on one, but not basketball."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Only if you'll let me win."

"No, no, we can't have any of that," he answered with a chuckle. "What are your plans for the evening?"

"Oh, you know, the usual - dinner with Oprah, small talk with Katie Couric, a bedtime story with my illegitimate child, Ricky Ricardo."

He snorted. "Yeah."

"What'd you expect me to say? Of course I'm not doing anything!" She paused. "Why?"

"I made us some dinner reservations."

"D," she whined. "I don't know if I'll feel up to it and I have nothing to wear!"

"Lilian, please," he murmured, cupping her cheeks with his large hands and staring into her eyes. "Allow me to do this."

Lilian sighed, looking up at him. "Okay, D," she replied. "But if I start hurting, can we please leave?"

"Of course, Mama," Dwayne replied softly. "I hope not, though. Because I have something special planned."

"Okay. Is this formal wear?"

"Yes."

"D. I don't have a dress."

Dwayne shook his head, a smirk on his face as he reached into his pocket and handed her his American Express card, taking in the wide grin that spread across her face. "Woman, you drive a hard bargain. Now pay attention to those eggs. They're starting to burn

"Lil, c'mon!" Dwayne yelled from the bottom of the stairs. "We're going to be late!"

"Okay!" Lilian called from up the stairs.

A door opened and she appeared at the top of the stairs. He had to clench his jaw to keep it from dropping. She walked down the stairs in a black, strapless dress that came to her knees, a little above whenever she took a step. The material was shiny in appearance with a diamond pendant in the center of the waist line.

"What do you think?" she asked when she got to the bottom step.

He looked her over. Her hair was curled and her boots were replaced with black stilettos. "Uh...Wow. I think...Wow. That is what I think: Wow. Just wow."

She arched an eyebrow. "Okay then."

Looking him up and down, she couldn't help but notice that he looked deliciously handsome in a charcoal gray suit with a pink and grey striped shirt and gray tie.

"You look really nice yourself," Lilian finally commented, smiling up at him. Despite the fact she was wearing massive heels, she was still dwarfed by his stature.

"Why thank you," Dwayne replied. "Now let's get going."

He held his arm out, and she placed her hand on his elbow, allowing him to guide her out of their house and to the car.

A little while later, they arrived at the restaurant, a posh setting called Castillo's.

They were seated at once as a result of Dwayne's reservations. Lilian looked around gleefully while a waiter filled their flutes with champagne. When he left, Lilian turned to face Dwayne.

"Dios, this must've costed you an arm and a leg!"

He smiled. "Nothing that wasn't worth it." He paused. "Are you sure you're okay? You aren't hurting?"

She looked at him sternly. "D, I am fine. I promise you that, okay? If I wasn't, I would tell you and I would ask to leave. You know that. Why don't you relax a bit? You've obviously had this planned and so I would rather you not worry about me."

He went to comment about slamming into her, but stopped and smiled. "Okay, you're right."

Lilian blinked, surprised that he was actually honoring her request. "Okay, then," she finally replied, glancing at the menu.

Once their orders had been placed, Lilian glanced wistfully at the other couples who had moved to the dance floor to sway gracefully to the sounds of a piano being played in the corner.

Following her glance, Dwayne smiled lightly. "Would you like to dance?" he asked softly, standing up and holding his hand out to her.

"Sure," Lilian answered shyly, accepting his offered hand.

They made their way over to the dance floor. They swayed their bodies along with the music and the other couples.

"So what is this really all about?" Lilian asked, her chin resting on his shoulder.

"What's what all about?" he questioned, grinning.

She pulled her head away to look at him. "Oh c'mon, D." She grinned. "I know something is up. I'm not that blonde."

He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

"Aw, that's not fair!" Lilian whined, pouting out her lower lip.

"That look's not going to work this time, missy," Dwayne teased.

"Hmm… can I guess then?"

"Do I really get a say in this?

"No," Lilian replied. "Okay, um…"

Dwayne rolled his eyes, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer to him.

"Did you buy me a cat?"

"No."

"Dog?"

"Nope."

"Turtle?"

"The hell? No," he answered, chuckling.

"How about a pony?!"

He rolled his eyes as they walked off the floor once the song ended. "Nope."

"Is it wearable?"

He shrugged and pulled her chair out for her. "Could be." Dwayne sat down across from her.

"Hmm, is it...shiny?"

"Yes, with your attention span and being easily distracted, I bought you a sheet of metal."

She gasped. "Really? Is it gold?"

"Gold metal?"

"No, you goofball. The wearable shiny thing you bought me!"

"I never said it was wearable."

"Yes you did."

"No, I didn't," Dwayne teased. "I said, 'Could be.' There's a difference."

Lilian opened her mouth to reply, then closed it when she realized that Dwayne was right. "Well, is it?" she finally pressed.

"Not telling."

"It is!" Lilian exclaimed. "Is it a necklace?"

"Good Lord. You're worse than Simone on Christmas," Dwayne said with a laugh.

"I can't help it!"

At that time, their food was set in front of them, temporarily ending Lilian's questions.

"Are you having a good time?" Dwayne asked, twirling some angel hair pasta onto his fork.

She smiled up at him, chewing. She nodded and swallowed. "Yeah, this is awesome. I just wish I knew what was going on."

"Why does something have to be going on for me to want to take you to dinner?"

She put her fork down. "There doesn't. But...I don't know, you just seem really nervous tonight." She shrugged and picked up her fork again. "Sorry though, I'll stop."

"What do you mean, I seem nervous?" Dwayne asked, watching as she cut her filet mignon a little more.

"I don't know, Dwayne. You just… you seem nervous."

"How so?"

"Well," Lilian began with a sigh. "First of all, you keep adjusting your tie. Then, you keep twisting your class ring around your finger. And if that isn't enough, you keep shaking your leg and stopping when you realize that I realize you're doing it."

Lilian looked at him expectantly, nearly laughing at the surprised look on his face.

"Wow, Lilian," he finally replied. "I had no idea my gorgeous, sexy, musically talented girlfriend was also an expert on human behavior patterns."

"Well, it isn't that hard. You don't ever act like this unless something is up. I've known you for more than 7 years. I think I should at least know stuff like this."

He grinned and took a sip of water.

"I didn't know my handsome, sexy athletically inclined boyfriend wasn't aware of his nervous habits."

"You have habits too," he challenged.

"Oh? I do? Pray tell, D, what are they?"

"Well, you'll put your hand over your stomach, or push your hair behind your ears. And sometimes if you're really worried, you'll bite your bottom lip."

She stared at him. "Okay, Dr. Phil."

"Hey, it's Dr. Dwayne to you," Dwayne sniffed, flashing a grin at her before lowering his fork once again.

Lilian lowered her fork again, then glanced at him, surprised. "How did you know I bite my lower lip when I'm worried?"

Dwayne laughed, then said, "I notice things, Lil. I notice that you always separate your M&M's by color, and always eat them in order of your favorite color and eat them two at a time. I notice that even though you are right handed, you eat with your left hand." She glanced down at her hand, then back at him. "I also notice that when you sit at ringside, you sit on your hands when they are cold."

"You seem to have a pretty good focus on my hands," Lilian finally replied.

"You talk with your hands too," Dwayne added when she gestured to the limbs in question. "And, you're not even Italian!" he laughed.

She raised a hand to jab a finger in his direction. "Hey! You leave -" She stopped, dropping her arm. "Jerk."

"I'm just stating the facts, sweetheart."

She smirked at him. "Fine, if we're going with facts, let's not forget to mention your God awful snoring."

"I don't snore!"

"Yeah, whatever, you keep telling yourself that." She smiled sweetly over at him, placing a piece of steak in her mouth.

"Okay, if we're going there, how about when you take a bath and your hair ends up all over the sides of the tub."

"That's not fair! I can't help that I have a lot of hair!"

"That's not fair!" Dwayne mocked, reaching across the table to take her hand. He smiled softly at her, rubbing her small hand in between his. "I love you."

"I love you too, Dwayne," Lilian replied, unable to resist noticing that his eyes lingered on her fingers for a long moment.

"God, Lilian," he whispered, shaking his head before bringing his eyes up to meet hers.

"What?" she finally asked softly.

"I just… I love you. So much. And I want to spend the rest of my life together with you."

She nearly choked on her sip of champagne. "What?" She shook her head. "Are you asking me to marry you?"

"No!" he answered quickly. "No, I didn't mean it like that. I mean, yes I do want to marry you, but not right now. Does that make sense?"

She nodded slowly.

"I don't want to rush things with you. You're too special. I feel like if I move too fast, I'll crush you. Besides, I like taking it slow with you. It gives me more time to memorize everything about you."

Lilian blushed. "Aw, you don't mean that."

"Of course I do!"

With that, he brought his gaze to the waiter of the night, nodding slightly. The young man brought over two roses that were being held together by something that Lilian couldn't see.

Dwayne took the roses, nodding his thanks to the waiter before bringing his attention back to Lilian.

"Lilian, do you know what the red rose signifies?"

"Love," Lilian whispered.

"Do you know what the white rose means?"

"Purity."

"Do you know what they mean together?"

"I… I can't say that I do, Dwayne."

"Together, red and white roses signify unity," Dwayne told her, moving his fingers to show her the gold band holding the roses together. "And I'd like you to display our unity by wearing this promise ring."

Her hand covered her mouth as tears found their way to the corners of her eyes. "Wow," she breathed out. "I-Are you sure?"

He nodded. "I'm more sure of this than I've ever been." He slipped the ring off the stems, reaching out to pick up her left hand, his fingers dancing over hers. "Will you?"

Lilian beamed, tears shining in her eyes. "Yes! Of course I will!"

Dwayne slid the ring onto her ring finger.

She held her hand out, marvelling at the ring. She slipped it off, admiring it. An engraving was on the inside part of the band. 'I love you.' And opposite that read, 'LG + DJ.'

She slipped the ring back on her finger, realizing that everyone in the restaurant was applauding. She blushed, smiling shyly at Dwayne.

"Congratulations," an older lady said as she came up to the pair, wiping her eyes. "That was amazing."

"Yeah," a younger man agreed. "I don't know how I'm going to top that when I finally propose," he grumbled good naturedly, giving his girlfriend's hand a squeeze.

"Thank you," Dwayne said with a light laugh, his hand covering Lilian's as he allowed his fingers to dance over the diamond encrusted in the center of the band.

"Do you want to get out of here?" he whispered.

She nodded quickly, a grin spreading across her face.

Dwayne waved the waiter over, paying the check with a single bill, insisting the waiter keep the change. He linked his fingers with Lilian and they left.

"I don't know what to do!" she said at last. "I don't know if I want to scream, or jump on you, or kiss you, or, or, I don't know!" She laughed happily, running to the truck.

"I know a way we can do all three," he quipped, cocking an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes. "Not like that!"

He laughed and started up the truck. "I was only kidding."

"Uh, huh," Lilian stated. "Sure. But..."

"But what?" Dwayne asked, glancing over at her.

"Who's to say I don't wanna do all three?"

End Part 14