A/N: Second to last chapter! Exciting! This chapter is a bit corny, but I love it anyway. Usual disclaimer applies. Please read and review!

Chapter 7

"I wish everyone was loved tonight
And we somehow stopped this endless fight
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days"

In the days following the shooting, Ryan searched for any indication that Greg was still hurting, still troubled by the unfortunate death of the child. He hadn't found any. They had even attended the funeral, at the family's request. The boy, whose name had been Parker Smith, had wanted to grow up to be a cop. Ryan had stood beside Greg that day, his heart breaking for the silent, grieving man beside him. There was no other comfort that he could offer besides his presence, and he only hoped that it would be enough to prove to Greg how much he truly and fully loved him.

After the funeral, Ryan barely had an opportunity to talk to Greg, to see how he was doing and if he needed anything from Ryan. In fact, Greg seemed to bounce back just fine. He threw himself head-first into work, and when they were home, he alternated between spending every possible minute with Ryan and locking himself into the guest bedroom, assuring Ryan that he was working on a secret project.

Ryan was not suspicious of any wrongdoing. After all, he trusted Greg enough now to know that Greg would never again do anything that would tear the two of them apart. Of course, that didn't mean that Ryan lacked an insatiable curiosity about just what Greg was planning.

It didn't help that Calleigh was clearly in on the plan. She walked around with a smug expression on her face for almost a week before Ryan finally snapped. They were working on a case together, and he couldn't take the way her mouth curved into a satisfied smirk every time she saw him. He glared at her. "You know something, don't you?"

For a moment, she was completely blank. "I know something about what?" she asked, genuinely confused as to what Ryan was referring.

This didn't convince Ryan, and he kept the death glare going. "You," he said slowly, "know what Greg's planning. He's let you in on the secret, which is why you've been walking around all week like a cat that's gotten the canary. Well, I'm tired of it. So spill."

Now the look on Calleigh's face changed rapidly from confusion to satisfaction to forced innocence. "Who, me?" she asked, batting her eyelashes. "I don't know anything. I have no idea what you're talking about. I am nothing more than a guiltless bystander. I know nothing. Greg would never let me in on a secret that big."

With that said, she turned tail and ran, leaving the room while calling over her shoulder, "I gotta go talk to H about something. I'll be back later!"

Ryan grumbled under his breath as he ground his teeth in frustration. That girl knew something, and it was making him peeved, to say the least. His frustration only deepened when his phone beeped, revealing a text message from Greg that read, "Nice try!"

Sighing heavily, Ryan closed his phone and slipped it in his pocket, then stood. He wasn't going to sit around waiting for Calleigh to come back. He needed to head to autopsy and get his results from Alexx, and that would hopefully take his mind off of whatever secret Greg had.

Or, at least, it should have, but since he walked into Autopsy and saw Calleigh and Alexx giggling together, it soured his mood entirely. Calleigh looked up when he walked in, turned bright red, and headed out the door without saying anything to him. Ryan took her place in the morgue, standing next to the DB with his arms crossed. "Did you have a good chat with Calleigh?" he asked sardonically.

She didn't even try to meet his eyes or keep a straight face. "Yes, I did, actually. We had a great chat about how you are freaking out about whatever Greg's planning."

"Good to know that you enjoy talking about me," he snapped.

Alexx rolled her eyes. "We're both worried about you, baby. We're worried that you're winding yourself up so tight that you're not even going to be able to enjoy what surprise Greg has in store for you."

Frowning slightly, Ryan asked incredulously, "This thing that he's planning is for me?"

Now it was Alexx's turn to look incredulous. "Of course he's planning this for you! What did you think? You're his entire world, baby. Of course he's doing this for you." Pausing, she reached out to rub his arm gently. "Really, baby, what did you think he was doing? What did you think he was planning?"

"I don't know," Ryan whispered, his mouth beginning to creep into a smile in recognition of the truth. "I didn't know what to think. I thought he might be having a meltdown and trying to hide it from me, and then once it was apparent that he was planning something, it bothered me that he wasn't sharing it with me. We've worked so hard to be together that to have him cut me out of this part of his life was driving me crazy."

Alexx's smile was a little too understanding. "I know, baby, but trust me, this is worth waiting for."

"It's that good, huh?"

"It is more than that good."

Ryan couldn't help the grin that spread over his face; it was more from relief than anything. He had been so worried that Greg was planning something stupid or, to be frank, dangerous. He realized now that if Greg had been planning something like that, there was no way he would've told Calleigh or Alexx. Once again, he had jumped to a conclusion without looking at the evidence. In his personal life, he was the worst CSI ever.

He found himself wandering through the lab, not sure what he was looking for, but he knew what it was when he found it. He walked straight into the work room, right up to Greg, and put his arms around him and kissed him deeply. Greg returned the kiss, but broke it off after a minute, leaning back a little to look at Ryan concernedly. "Is everything alright?" he asked quietly, his dark eyes worried.

Ryan looked down, still feeling foolish. "I'm sorry," he whispered, blushing. "I'm sorry that I doubted. I know that I promised to trust you, but I'm an idiot. I get so blinded by all my stupid doubts and fears that I don't even take the time to consider all the evidence, and then I make mistakes and jump to stupid conclusions, and—"

Greg cut him off, one eyebrow raised and the hint of smile tugging on the corners of his mouth. "Ryan, love, what are you talking about?"

"Your stupid…whatever you've been planning!" Ryan blurted exasperatedly. "I thought you were planning something stupid, or worse, dangerous, and I didn't stop to think about you wouldn't tell Calleigh—"

This time, Greg cut him off by kissing him deeply, practically pinning him against the examining table. Then he pulled back, resting his forehead on Ryan's. "Ryan, sweetie, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I've been running around this week acting like a chicken with its head cut off, and it's perfectly understandable that you would be concerned, especially after…after what happened. But I promise you," he continued, stroking Ryan's cheek with one thumb, "I am fine. And this surprise is going to be the best of your life."

"Really?" Ryan couldn't stop himself from asking, though it caused him to blush again.

Greg just grinned and kissed him once more. "Really." Then he pushed Ryan away. "Now go! I've got work to do, and I know you won't be this excited when you're late coming home from work tonight."

As Ryan left the room, he reflected on that. He would be that excited and that happy, no matter what time he came home from work, knowing that he was coming home to the best and most amazing man on the planet.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxX

That Friday, Ryan had just finished wrapping up the case he was working on when a rap sounded on the layout room door. He glanced up to see Eric standing there, grinning at him. He stuck his head in the room. "Hey, Wolfe, you'll never guess who's asking for you at reception. Some old-fashioned chauffeur is here for you, and he has this note for you."

Ryan took the card from Eric, noting that it had clearly been open and read. He glanced up at Eric, who just shrugged and grinned. "What can I say? Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction—"

"Brought it back, yeah, I know," Ryan grumbled, but his own interest was stirred, and he pulled the card from the envelope. He read it to himself, feeling a giant grin spread over his face.

"Dearest Ryan,

This chauffeur will take you home so that you can get changed (don't worry, an outfit is already prepared for you), and then he will take you to meet me for your surprise. I can't wait to see you, my love, because I know that you will love what I have planned for the evening.

All my love,

Greg"

Ryan looked up to see the chauffeur waiting for him. Eric hadn't lied—the guy was definitely dressed in old-fashioned chauffeur garb, right down to the white gloves. He bowed slightly when Ryan saw him. "Mister Wolfe, I presume?" the chauffeur asked in a clipped British accent.

"Yes," Ryan answered, blushing when his voice squeaked.

The chauffeur bowed slightly again. "If you would be so inclined, I shall show you to your vehicle for the evening." Unable to say anything, Ryan just nodded, his eyes wide as saucers as he followed the chauffeur outside.

His eyes got even wider and his jaw dropped open as he saw the car waiting at the curb. "Is that…is that a Bentley?" he gasped, practically salivating at the gorgeous, mint-condition-looking car.

"Yes, sir," the chauffeur answered, opening the back door for him. "A Bentley S1, to be exact. It's in prime condition, I assure you."

Still gaping, Ryan clambered into the back. "Greg hired a Bentley?" he asked out loud, trying not to think of how much money his boyfriend had spent on this ride, or even more so, this entire night. But he managed to put the thought out of his head as he saw people on the side of the street stopping to stare at the car.

He could hardly contain himself all through the car ride home. He wanted to call Greg so badly, to hear his voice and tell him how excited and thankful he was for the beautiful car ride, but he also didn't want to ruin the ambiance of the evening.

Once they finally reached Greg and Ryan's apartment, Ryan literally ran inside to find what was waiting for him. A black garment bag lay on the bed, with another card sitting on top of it. This one hadn't been opened, and Ryan sat down on the bed, opening the card with trembling fingers.

"Dearest Ryan,

You know that to me, you are the most beautiful man in the world, and that I would find you just as beautiful whether you were wearing a suit and tie or a ratty t-shirt and sweats.

Still, I thought you might want to be a little more dapper for this occasion. I can't wait to see you in this.

All my love,

Greg"

Without a hint of hesitation or trepidation, Ryan unzipped the garment bag, gasping quietly when he saw what it contained. There waiting for him was a gorgeous black tuxedo, crisp and fresh and begging to be put on. Ryan didn't think he had ever dressed so quickly, but he knew a quality tux when he saw one, and this was quality. He tried to resist peeking at the tag, but he couldn't help himself, and subsequently almost had a heart attack at what he saw. Dolce and Gabbana. He was wearing Dolce and Gabbana! And he knew from the perfect fit that it had been tailored for him.

Again, Ryan tried not to think about the money Greg had spent on this, or, more importantly, where Greg had gotten the money. Greg had told him that he had a fairly generous trust fund from his parents (especially since he was an only child), but Ryan had not suspected that it was this generous.

He pushed the thought from his mind and straightened the lapel of the jacket as he stood in front of the mirror. In Greg's words, he looked dapper. He looked liked something straight out of the 1950s, like old-school James Bond. He looked good.

When he had finally managed to calm himself down so that he was no longer to the point of hyperventilating, he walked outside to see the chauffeur standing in the exact same position that he had been when Ryan left. As soon as Ryan came outside, the chauffeur bowed slightly and asked, "All ready, then, sir?"

"Yes," Ryan answered breathily, barely recognizing his own voice. He got in the car and closed his eyes, not even looking to see which way they were going. This evening was already so incredible that he could hardly think of how it could get any better.

Soon enough, though, they had reached their destination, and Ryan got out of the car before the chauffeur could even open his door, more amazed than ever. A huge yacht was docked in the harbor in front of him, the kind of yacht that he had only been on when investigating a crime scene. He heard footsteps behind him, but only turned when he heard Greg say quietly, "Thank you, James. I'll call when we're done."

"Of course, Mr. Sanders," the chauffeur answered quickly, ducking back into the car as Ryan threw himself into Greg's arms.

"Greg, this is amazing!" Ryan exclaimed. "How did you plan all this? How did you pay for all this? And where the hell did you find a yacht like this?"

Greg grinned and pulled Ryan to him, planting a kiss on his forehead. "Well, now you know why I've been running around all week, planning this. And don't worry about how I paid for this. As for the yacht, I know a few people in Vegas who know a few people, and one just happened to have their yacht here and was more than accommodating." Pausing, he leaned back to examine Ryan from head to toe. "God, Ryan, you look amazing," he breathed, leaning in again to kiss him.

Laughing, Ryan pulled away slightly, his face flushed. "You don't look too bad yourself," he said, noting Greg's tux with an appraising eye.

Still grinning, Greg offered Ryan his arm. "What do you say we board this fair vessel and get our evening underway?"

"I think I would like that very much," Ryan answered, grinning madly as he took Greg's arm and walked with him onto the yacht.

After a three-course dinner and several glasses of wine and champagne, Ryan and Greg snuggled on the side of the upper deck of the yacht, looking at the stars. "They're beautiful," Ryan murmured. "You can never see the stars this well from in the city."

Greg smiled wistfully. "No, you can't." Then he grinned and kissed Ryan's neck. "You're beautiful too, you know." Then, abruptly, he stood, offering Ryan his hand. "C'mon, what do you say we dance?"

With that, a band stepped onto the deck, instruments in hand, and began playing, soft and slow, while the singer began crooning. "A live band?" Ryan asked, grinning. "You have no shame, Sanders."

Greg just pulled him up and into his arms. They danced together just like that for several songs, wrapped in each others' arms, with no need for words between them.

Then a new song started, and Ryan knew something was different instantly because Greg suddenly tensed up. Ryan didn't even know what the song was; he didn't think he had ever heard it. Greg obviously had, because he sang the words in Ryan's ear.

"When the world wasn't upside down
I could take all the time I had
But I'm not gonna wait when one moment can vanish so fast
Cuz every kiss is a kiss you can never get back"

In response to Greg's singing, Ryan burrowed his head deeper into Greg's shoulder. He had never felt happier or more secure than he did in this moment, here with Greg.

"Lift me up
In your eyes
If you told me that is what Heaven is
Well, you'd be right
I've been waiting forever for this
This is the night"

This certainly was the night. Ryan had never had a night like this, had never been treated so well by anyone. He loved that after all the time they had spent together, Greg could still surprise him as completely as he had tonight.

"When the answer to all my dreams
Is as close as a touch away
Why am I here holding back what I'm trying to say?

Lift me up
In your eyes
If you told me that is what Heaven is
Well, you'd be right
Hold me close
To your heart
I would go with you
To the ends of the earth and we'll fly
I've been waiting forever for this
This is the night"

Ryan noticed a difference in Greg's voice, in his posture, even in the way his heartbeat seemed to quicken against Ryan's ear, which was still pressed to Greg's shoulder. Leaning back slightly, Ryan looked Greg deep in the eyes, seeing all the love that was there.

"This is the night where we capture forever
And all our tomorrows begin
After tonight, we will never be lonely again"

Greg leaned in and kissed Ryan deeply, leaving the singing up to the singer of the band. Though Ryan kissed Greg back, in the back of his mind, he knew that this was leading up to something. This was the night—but the night for what?

"Lift me up
In your eyes
If you told me that is what Heaven is
Well, you'd be right
Hold me close
To your heart
I would go with you
To the ends of the earth and we'll fly
I've been waiting forever for this
This is the night"

Greg broke off the kiss, pulling away gently but reluctantly. He swallowed hard, suddenly looking nervous. "Ryan, you know I love you more than anyone or anything else in this world. And we promised that we would make every moment together for the rest of our lives count. So, Ryan," he continued, reaching into his pocket, "I had a question to ask you."

He got down on one knee and opened a ring box in one fluid motion, so that Ryan almost didn't know what was happening. "Ryan Wolfe, will you do me the honor of being my husband, so that together we can make every moment count?"

Ryan was at a loss for words. "I…I don't know what to say," he said honestly, his head spinning. Marriage? He had never once honestly considered marriage; for a gay man in Florida, that wasn't much of an option. But here, and now, with Greg at his side, he had to consider it, and he had no clue what to say. He looked down at the simple silver ring in the box, and stretched a hand out towards it. "May I?' he asked.

"Of course," Greg said quickly, handing the box over. "There's an inscription on the ring—just there."

"The best is yet to be," Ryan read out loud, his voice breaking.

Greg's voice was soft as he said, "It's from a Robert Browning quote. The full quote is, 'Grow old with me! The best is yet to be." He paused for a moment, and then he asked, his voice so quiet that Ryan could barely hear him. "So what do you say, Ryan? Will you grow old with me? Will you make our love one hundred percent official, no going back and no walking away? Because I want this, Ryan." His voice got louder as he continued. "I want us to be married more than anything else in the world. I want to be eighty years old with you, living in the nursing home together, whatever. I want us to be together forever, and I want to make it official, for all the world to see." Pausing yet again, he asked again, "What do you say?"

Ryan knew, before the words ever came out of his mouth, what his choice would be. He had known ever since meeting Greg; he had known ever since their first kiss, their first fight, from the way his heart broke so completely when it seemed like they were through, and from the way it mended so quickly when Greg came back, and even now, from the way it beat in sync with the man in front of him. He knew what his choice was, because for him, there had never been a choice. "Yes," he whispered.