"Oh my god let me see it! Let me see it!" Mila squealed as soon as Seth and Rose arrived in the studios. Rose was nearly jumped from behind by somebody and she laughed when she saw it was Danny "Congratulations!" he cheered making Rose laugh as he picked her up and spun her around.
"Guys calm down!" she said through laughter, "How do you even know I said yes?"
"Yeah she could have shot me down for all you know" Seth added in and then everybody fell silent in confusion and anticipation, "But I didn't of course and we're totally engaged!" Rose said and then she stuck out her hand to show off her beautiful diamond ring. Everybody cheered in delight then and all came together for a group hug.
"I'm so happy for you guys!" Alec said happily as he shook Seth's hand and then hugged Rose tightly. "Yeah way to go Seth" Mila said happily as she pulled one of her best friends into a hug, "I'm so happy for you"
"Thanks Mila that means a lot" Seth replied with a real genuine smile, he was really happy and wanted everyone to see how much he was. He watched everybody hassle Rose for details about the proposal and laughed when Danny and Alec pretended to re-enact it making Rose laugh and start to blush. Everybody was pleased for them and wanted to celebrate by having a night out on the town, it was Saturday after all!
"Come on Seth we gotta go and celebrate!" Mike Henry said happily making Seth smile and say "We can later but we've got work to do today" everybody made disappointed noises making Seth laugh but say "I'm sorry but it's gotta be done"
"It's Saturday man!" Alec whined
"There's a few voices to be recorded and then I've got a meeting with the storyboard artists and then you're free to do whatever" Seth explained and smiled as everybody nodded in agreement, "What's the meeting about?" Michael asked Seth who sipped his coffee and then said "We can discuss details in the conference room if you're all present" all of the storyboard artists stepped forward making Seth smile and say "Excellent we can get underway, I'll see you guys a little later"
"Oh yes you will MacFarlane we want details!" Mila said and winked at Rose who laughed and then followed the rest of the guys into the conference room for the meeting. She was actually looking forward to moving into a new room while theirs was being refurbished; at least it was big enough to escape depressed, weepy Michael!
"I really don't understand why we're out here" Nicky said confused and getting impatient.
"Just wait, they'll be out soon enough and I wanna see it for myself" Harriet grumbled as she crouched down in the bushes near the FOX studios waiting to catch a glimpse of Seth and Rose. She and Nicky had been sitting in a cafe not far from the studios when they overheard two women talking about Seth's proposal to Rose.
So she wanted to see it for herself, as if that bitch got engaged before she did! As if she was still dating Seth! She thought they were broken up after what she did at Seth's party. Humiliating Rose was the best thing she'd ever done, but to hear that she was still in a relationship with Seth made her blood boil. She wanted to see it for herself and if it was true then she'd stop at nothing to destroy that relationship.
If she couldn't have Seth then Rose couldn't have him either!
"You're really going to believe what those two women were saying?" Nicky asked as she watched Harriet stare at the building like a possessed woman.
"They work at the studios so it must be true" Harriet replied not once taking her eyes off the studios, they must be in there somewhere and once they came out she'd see for herself if the rumours were true. And if they were, she'd make Rose's life a living hell once more.
"I don't see what you need me for" Nicky said getting confused again,
"Duh you're a reporter"
"So?"
"So I need your help with something"
"As long as it's legit and doesn't get me fired"
"Oh don't worry this story will be juicier than any other you've told"
"I like where this is going" Nicky replied with a mischievous smile on her face, she'd been looking for a good story to help her climb the ladder, and if Harriet could help then she'd use her for it!
"So are you in?" Harriet asked with a wicked smile on her face making Nicky smile back, "Yes, I am definitely in"
"You've turned him into a soppy mushy dick" Alex said disgusted making Rose laugh and throw a pillow at her, "He's not that at all!"
"He so is! Chasing you through an airport? Getting all mushy with compliments and now a sickly sweet proposal? Eugh I can feel the vomit in my throat" Rose laughed again yet was now wary of Alex's serious tone to the comment, was it so bad that Seth was expressing his feelings more?
Rose cleared her throat and shifted uncomfortably on the couch making Alex look at her, "I didn't mean it in a bad way"
"Of course not"
"I honestly didn't! It's just strange to see this side of Seth that's all; it's so unusual for him to be this happy and cheerful"
"Oh"
"Especially in the morning, he's normally such a dick in the morning snapping at people because he's tired"
"He's still like that now" Rose said confused making Alex laugh, "Oh honey he's far from what he once was! He's a completely different man and it's all because of you"
"I haven't done anything"
"You've done everything to change him"
"And that's a good thing? People seem to prefer the old Seth, you included as I can tell you're not keen on him anymore" Alex was surprised at Rose's sudden burst of honesty but she said calmly "Like I said Rose I'm just not used to this side of him, I've been around him for years and not once has he been in a relationship that's lasted this long"
"That's because they were all gold diggers"
"Yes I know that, so it's strange for all of us to see him so happy with a genuine level headed woman with a brain" Rose couldn't help but smile at that, she was happy she was making Seth so happy... he did deserve it after everything he'd been through!
"So" Alex said making Rose look at her as she sipped her water, "Have you thought about when you'd like to get married?"
"I don't know to be honest, I mentioned my idea of my dream wedding to Seth but we haven't discussed it since"
"Oh god, it's not gonna be a stupid fairytale wedding where we have to dress up is it?" Alex said looking disgusted making Rose laugh and say, "No don't be ridiculous!"
"Good because I don't think any of us could put up with that" Alex replied while laughing making Rose smile and say "I said I wanted to get married on a beach somewhere at sunset"
"Now that sounds perfect" Alex said grinning, "Did Seth seem up for that?"
"I don't know, like I said I mentioned it but nothing came of it so I'm not sure what he'll want"
"Honey, Seth will do whatever you want and won't have a problem with it"
"So if I said I wanted us to have a naked wedding he wouldn't object?" Rose said jokingly making Alex laugh and say "Well maybe he'd object to that one"
"I heard naked, what are you girls talking about?" Danny asked as he flopped down onto the empty couch, with Alec with him.
"We were discussing wedding plans" Alex replied.
"And naked wedding came up?" Alec asked confused making Rose shrug and say "It might be a possibility"
"So instead of a wedding, you'll basically be starting an orgy?" Danny asked making Rose make a disgusted noise and say "Yeah, maybe not a naked wedding" making Alec and Danny whine and complain at the same time.
Rose looked confused and said "So you'd both get naked and not care about seeing each other's dicks?"
"Yeah good point" Alec said and put a hand defensively on his crotch making everybody laugh.
"My idea of a perfect wedding is on a beach, but like I said to Alex I really need to discuss it more with Seth when we're at home" Rose said as she tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled at the guys, "I'm sure he won't have a problem with that" Danny replied with a bright smile, "Have you thought about the destination?"
"Ooo how about Hawaii?" Alec said excitedly but Rose shouted "No!" defensively making Alec just stare at her wide eyed, but then he remembered and said "Shit I'm sorry Rose"
"It's okay Alec don't worry" Rose said with a tight smile, of course she'd love to get married somewhere like Hawaii but because her dad lived there she wouldn't step foot there, not now, not ever.
"Let's change the subject" Alex said noticing the tension was rising and Rose was looking pretty sour, "What was your meeting about earlier Rose?"
"Seth is refurbishing the storyboard artist's room and we're moving further down the corridor"
"That's pretty cool, Seth's needed to update that room for years" Danny said, "Are you moving into the spare room?"
"Yeah into that room we snooped around in a few weeks back" Rose replied with a bright smile making Danny grin, "Oh man you're so lucky! That room is equipped with the newest and coolest technology! You'll be drawing quicker on the computers instead of paper"
"It'll be tricky at first but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it"
"When have you gotta move your stuff?" Alex asked
"I'm supposed to be moving it now" Rose replied realising she was actually supposed to be working and not sitting around.
"Well get to it then" Alex said bossily making Rose just stare at her, "Yes mom" is all she said making Alex narrow her eyes and say "Don't make me get bitchy" is Lois's voice making Rose laugh and say "Okay okay I'm going" then she waved to the guys and headed down the corridor to start moving her stuff to the other room.
But she felt somebody pick her up from behind and she started laughing, as she knew it was the guys playing games, "We can't leave you!" Alec said is a desperate voice making her laugh again and say "Put me down you dick!" he did as she said and she stared at him and Danny who smiled and said "We're free so we can help you"
"You mean you want to play in the new room" Rose said as she looked at both men who looked at each other and said "Yeah" at the same time making her laugh again, "You big kids" she said as she walked further down the corridor with both of them following her like puppy dogs.
But she turned around and said "You know, you can walk with me instead of behind me"
"We know" they said together and then stared at each other, "Dude, don't copy me" is all Alec said making Danny say "You copied me!"
"Guys it doesn't matter" Rose said as she smirked at both men who were glaring at each other, "Just because I'm cooler than you" Alec said smugly making Danny stare at him and say "Dumbass" then he walked towards Rose and started laughing at Alec was pretending to get tearful, "I thought you loved me man"
"I do Alec, I do!" Danny said dramatically as he ran towards Alec and hugged him while both of them pretended to cry; "I think you guys should get married before me and Seth" Rose said and laughed at both men as they walked hand in hand towards her.
Rose loved days like this, where everybody was happy and they could joke about without it turning serious. Some people hated going to work but Rose loved it, there were always things to do and things to play with, it was like a child's playground!
"Where do you want us to start?" Alec asked as they walked into the room and looked around, some of the guys had already moved their stuff so it was looking pretty empty, but Rose had a fair bit to move and it couldn't be messed up.
"Be careful moving some of my storyboards, they're in order and Seth will kill me if I mess them up"
"Yeah we'll leave that to you" Danny said making Rose roll her eyes and say, "You just want to move my toys don't you?"
"No" he replied innocently as he stared at all of Rose's toys she'd collected, it was memorabilia from the show but the guys always wanted to play with the dolls and little action figures, they were just like big children!
"Just put it all into boxes and I'll move my paperwork" Rose said making both men grin and start to move her stuff into boxes. She was pretty sad that they had to move rooms as it felt like her second home in here, everybody knew where everything was and everything was close to hand when you needed it. But of course it had its downside; it was too crowded and because there were so many artists coming and going it was getting too much. So the good outweighed the bad and Rose smiled and got on with packing her stuff up.
Seth was sitting on one of the couches drinking a bottle of water, he'd just finished voicing Stan and he was extremely winded and very tired. He loved doing it but it seriously took it out of him! He sighed as he rested his head back on the couch and closed his eyes, his thoughts drifted to Rose and he soon smiled. He couldn't believe that they were engaged and soon to be married; he couldn't get the image of Rose smiling out of his head. He was terrified she'd say no but seeing her crying out of happiness reassured him that she loved and needed him as much as he loved and needed her. They were perfect for each other and he couldn't wait to spend his life with her happily married.
Seth opened his eyes slowly but jumped when he saw one of his assistants sitting next to him, "Hayley" is all he said surprised making her smile and say "Sorry I didn't mean to startle you, I've been trying to get your attention for a while now"
"Sorry I must have crashed"
"You look tired"
"I am yeah, voicing Stan really kills me"
"But it'll be worth it" Hayley replied with a big smile making Seth smile back at her. He'd always liked Hayley from the moment he hired her. She was an assistant for looking after American Dad when he wasn't around, she made sure everybody was doing their job and looked after meetings when he couldn't be present. She was a godsend really and he was glad he'd hired her.
Of course he'd found it funny that her name was Hayley but he never said anything, he kept it to himself.
She flicked her long blonde her behind her and said "So...There's rumour going around that you got engaged last night"
Seth smiled at that and said "I can put those to rest and confirm it's true"
"Congratulations, I'm really pleased for you!"
"Thank you Hayley that means a lot"
"Does that mean you'll be absent from work for a while?
"Why would I be absent?"
"To celebrate your engagement and make wedding plans"
"Nah both me and Rose will be working and planning the wedding at home" Seth replied while still smiling, he just couldn't stop these days... things in his life were perfect!
Hayley smiled but looked a little disappointed, just like many other women, she had a HUGE crush on Seth and working with him was a dream come true. But now he was engaged it was a definite sign he was off the market for good. Hayley didn't have a problem with Rose in the few times she'd met her, but of course the jealously was still there and probably going to be there for a long long time.
"I'm really happy for you Seth" is all Hayley managed to force out, there was no point crying and causing a scene because she knew he wouldn't tolerate it. So he had to pretend she was happy for him and get on with her job.
"That's sweet of you Hayley, thank you" Seth said with another bright smile, but he checked his watch and saw it was nearly 4pm and he knew he had to see how the guys were getting on moving into the new room.
So he downed the rest of his water and said "I gotta head off and see the guys"
"That's okay" Hayley said getting up from the couch and smoothing out her mini skirt hoping Seth would notice. But he was in his own world and she frowned quickly before he said "Is there anything else I need to do before I head out?"
Besides break up with Rose, unfortunately no is all Hayley thought but instead she smiled and said "Nope you're good to go, I'll send your recordings to the guys and let you know if we need you for anymore voices"
"Thank you Hayley, I'll see you again soon"
"Bye Seth" Hayley replied as she admired him from behind as he walked down the corridor to head back to the Family Guy studio.
When he was out of sight she pulled a face and then flopped back down on the couch. She couldn't help but mull over what happened earlier in the day while she was heading into work with her co-assistant Candice. They were stopped by two women; Hayley recognised one of the women as she'd seen her in the studios before, but the other she didn't recognise. They were asking both Hayley and Candice questions about Seth because they wanted an inside scoop on Seth's relationship with Rose. Of course they both refused and walked away leaving both women furious, but now Hayley was thinking about going to talk to them.
She knew that they were probably reporters trying to get the inside scoop on Seth, she'd been told hundreds of times by the FOX executives and Seth himself, to never talk to the paparazzi or reporters who hung around the studios. But there was something about the two women that appealed to Hayley, it would be quite fun and daring to spread some gossip about Seth and Rose.
They were too lovey dovey and needed bringing back to reality, because a few of the women, including Hayley, were sick of seeing Seth so loved up and happy. He'd changed too much and things were different, he barely spent any time over on American Dad as he preferred to stay with Rose over on Family Guy. She'd heard about the scene in the airport and it made her gag, it wasn't the Seth she knew at all!
Hayley stood up from the couch and then stopped to think about it, could she really do this? It would mean risking her job if she was found out, and then she'd never be able to find another job like this ever again. But then she thought about how close she was to Seth before he met Rose, they'd been out a few times and they'd spent countless hours talking and making each other laugh.
Seth was an unbelievable friend but then he met Rose things changed, he was distant and barely had time for a conversation because he was spending all of his free time with Rose. It made Hayley angry and the jealously was too powerful, she needed to get rid of it and talking to those two women would help relieve some of it.
So with that in mind, she decided to grab her things and head downstairs to go home, hoping to catch the two women.
"We've been sitting out here for hours and they haven't come back, and we haven't even seen Seth and Rose" Nicky said to Harriet who sipped her fourth coffee and said "Believe me, they'll come back and talk to us"
"But getting information from FOX is impossible, it's airtight and I cannot dig up anything on Seth without his lawyers defending it"
"But they won't know who gossiped and talked to us"
"Harriet you clearly haven't figured this out have you? There's camera's everywhere surrounding this building!" Nicky said angrily but Harriet looked at her and said "Everything will work out, stop worrying" Nicky just huffed and slumped back into her chair, they were still sitting outside of the coffee shop watching the building, hoping to catch the two women again. They both looked like they were ready to talk but then they both went into the building without a second glance.
Harriet was getting pretty frustrated about it but wouldn't let it show, she'd been banned from the premises thanks to Seth. So she had to hide out and try to catch somebody so they could talk and get all of the gossip to bring Rose down. It just wasn't fair that Rose could have everything, why did she get it all? What the hell was so special about her?
She was a freak loser who didn't deserve Seth. Harriet was hell bent on getting this story printed and she just needed some more gossip and then Nicky to publish it, but there was nobody to talk to. But when she looked up, she saw somebody walking towards them with their hood up and sunglasses on. Harriet was confused at first, but when she recognised the designer handbag she grinned mischievously... she knew she'd come back and talk to them.
"Who's this?" Nicky said confused as she was watching the woman walk over to them.
"The final piece of the jigsaw" is all Harriet said and grinned again, this was it; her story could finally be published!
Rose was going to lose everything once and for all.