Semper Fi

By Ann3

Writer's Note: Oh dear. So all that clever ingenuity's been wasted. So how is Laura going to react to the big secret that never quite was ? Well, let's just say the surprises aren't quite over yet... ;o)

I've used quite a few Latin phrases in my stories lately, including this one, but forgotten to give their meaning. So for those who don't know, Semper Fidelis, usually shortened to Semper Fi, is the motto for the US Marine Corps, and it means Always Faithful.

Ah, my old Latin teacher would be so proud !! Anyway, enjoy !!

Chapter Twelve

Keeping The Faith

Had she imagined it...? Had two wide, incredulous eyes played the cruellest of jokes on her...? It had been two days now, since she'd watched him lovingly slip that velvet box into his pocket, and – well, the question which she'd silently begged him to ask her since then still hadn't materialised.

Had he changed his mind...? Had she inadvertently said something, done something, to upset him...? Could her sweet, sensitive Carson, the Carson who still blubbed watching Bambi, really be so cruel...?

He'd clearly sensed her unease, since a warm, strong hand now wrapped itself gently around hers.

"Laura...? Are – Are ye alright, love...? Only you're... well, you're awfu' quiet..."

Not knowing how to reply, not sure if she even trusted herself to do so, Laura simply smiled back at him – watching, in puzzled surprise, as Carson's hand moved away again, onto the car's indicator controls.

That confusion only increased when she noticed they were now heading off the motorway. Okay, so she was hardly an expert in Scottish geography yet, but... this was not the way to Glasgow.

He had sensed her confusion this time, since Carson now cast her a slight, gently mysterious smile.

"Just a quick detour, love... I... um... jus' need to pick somethin' up..."

He'd tried so hard to look casual, and innocent, and relaxed... and Laura was having none of it. Up went one eyebrow. Then the other. Out came the defensive, stammering, 'oh, crap...' yelp.

"From Jenners... in Edinburgh... aye, ye see... um... I – I saw a jumper in there, an' didnae get it, an' wish now I had, an'... well... um..."

Okay, so technically he was lying through his teeth, but... damn it, she was too thrilled, too excited, to care. If not for her seatbelt, the risk of him crashing their car through the slip-road barriers, she'd have jumped clear onto his lap.

Promising herself that pleasure for a more appropriate, not to mention safer time, she smiled instead, markedly happier than she had done before – eagerly counting the miles to Edinburgh, while silently willing him to 'put his damn foot down...'

By the time they arrived, found a space for the car, and made their way along a packed Princes Street – well, Laura was practically flattening any poor, unsuspecting tourist who happened to get in her way.

If he'd not been so excited himself, Carson might have guessed that his precious cat was out of the bag. As it was, he led Laura, to her puzzled surprise, beyond the jewellery counter to a staircase behind it – the extra brightness to his eyes betraying the fact that he wasn't heading for the menswear department.

Only when they finally arrived at the Customer Services desk did he allow his smile to broaden – the depth of love in his eyes bringing helpless tears to her own as, so gently, he turned her to face him.

"I – I hope you won' mind the little white lie, love..." he said at last, his voice barely above a whisper. "But... well, I didnae bring ye here for a jumper, or anythin' for me... I – I brought ye here for this..."

She'd been too excited to feel it at first, too blinded by tears to notice where it had come from, but a box had appeared in her hand.

A small, gold, velvet box. A box she'd seen before, two days ago, opened up in a long glass counter.

She'd been too far away to see its contents then. There was nothing stopping her from seeing it now.

Her hands must have been shaking, since sure and steady others now slid in to help with the honours – the nervous expectancy in Carson's eyes almost too much for her to take as Laura eased open its lid.

She was crying openly now – but not even blurring tears in her eyes could detract from this moment. It was, quite simply, the most beautiful... no, the most stunningly beautiful ring that she'd ever seen.

There was a diamond, of course, there'd simply had to be. A full, perfect carat, if she wasn't mistaken. That alone had left her stunned. Dear God, a solitaire of that quality must have cost him a fortune...!

Beyond that, though, apart from the diamond, the soft Celtic goldwork which framed it so gently – no, it was two familiar words, delicately engraved into the ring's shoulders, that took her breath away.

Semper Fi

Her fingers kept tracing themselves over them, but... damn it, Laura simply couldn't find her voice. It was left to Carson, his voice equally choked with nervous emotion, to both explain and apologise.

"I – I really wanted ye to have it earlier, love, but... well, I – I had to wait for the engraving, an'..."

And suddenly he couldn't talk any more. The tumbling flurry of words couldn't find a way out. But it wasn't his emotions which had silenced him. It was the smothering gentleness of Laura's mouth.

Staggering slightly from two armfuls of hugging, kissing, thoroughly ecstatic Marine, he then smiled. He'd hated keeping this wonderful surprise from her, for so long, when she'd clearly been expecting it, but – aye, Carson dazedly reflected, spinning Laura around in pure elation, that had still gone sweetly well.