AUTHOR'S NOTES: If you haven't seen the 6th season episode 'My Heart Will Go On', I advise you stop reading NOW. Seriously. I mean it. Unless you like spoilers. Just scroll down to the second Author's note.
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I've decided to make this the 'Titanic does NOT sink' universe.
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SECOND Author's Note: Okay, you can start reading again. I just want to make sure all my readers know that I am reclassifying this as a crossover. I thought I could avoid it, but that's like Gibbs giving up coffe, or Dean refusing pie, or telling Tony he can't quote movies, or telling Castiel to burn his trenchcoat, or... You get the idea.
And can I just say that Crowley is just too freakin fun to write?
Also, there are some references to the episodes 'The Curious Case of Dean Winchester' and 'Point of No Return' especially concerning Bobby Singer.
Chapter 19
Abandon All Hope
"For the last time—NO!" Dean all but shouted at he looked at Fiona.
It had been two weeks since finding out that a demon named Crowley was the best lead on finding the Colt, but locating the demon had not been an easy task.
That was when Fiona suggested that she pretend to make a crossroads deal to lure Crowley out into the open.
And that had sparked one argument after another between Dean and Fiona.
While Fi and Dean continued arguing outside on the porch at Bobby's house, Sam, Bobby, Ellen, Jo, Ziva, Tony and Gibbs sat around the living room, wondering when the two would come to some agreement.
Dean had called Fiona's godfather in the hopes that the older man could talk some sense into Fi. But once Tony and Ziva heard about what was supposed to go down, the two agents invited themselves along as well.
Hearing Dean and Fiona coming back inside, the others looked at them, wondering if a resolution had been achieved.
"Dean, the crossroads demons know you and they'll probably kill you on sight," Fiona pointed out, still looking pissed.
"Look, Dean," Sam butted in, ignoring the glares he was getting from his brother. "Maybe Fi's right. Maybe I should do this."
"Oh, great idea, Sammy," Dean snapped, irritably. "Hand Lucifer's vessel right over to the demons."
"Okay, what about Bobby?" Sam suggested. "He could make the deal and then we could trap Crowley."
"A deal for what?" Dean said, feeling like this whole plan was just going in circles.
Bobby frowned at the comment and said, "At this point I'd be willing to give up my soul just so you idjits would shut up."
"I'll do it," Gibbs said, straightening up and looking at the others as if daring someone to challenge the decision.
"No way," Fiona replied, almost immediately. "Gibbs, this isn't your fight."
But Gibbs gave her a warm smile as he said, "I wasn't there when Shannon and Kelly needed me the most. I'm not making the same mistake with you, Fiona."
"Boss, I hate to agree with Fiona, but she's got a point," Tony said. "Besides, what would you make a deal for?"
To everyone's surprise, Dean also argued against Gibbs' choice. Addressing the older NCIS agent, Dean said, "Look, if you do this, Crowley's going to be looking for any chink in your armor. He'll do whatever it takes for you to make the deal for real."
"You think I don't know how to stall, Winchester?" Gibbs replied, fixing the young hunter with a cool stare. To his credit, Dean didn't blink or stand down. "What do we have to do?"
24 hours later, Leroy Jethro Gibbs stood alone in the middle of an intersection of dirt roads, looking around as he waited. A quarter of a mile away—to the south, north, west, and east—Dean, Sam, Fiona, Ellen, Jo, Tony, and Ziva worked on finishing what would become one giant Devil's Trap.
"Well, well, well…" A smooth English voice said from behind Gibbs. As Gibbs turned, the man smiled as he went on. "Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The legend himself. This really is an honor, mate. So please… What can I do for you?"
"You've heard of me?" Gibbs asked, skeptically. He kept his eyes on the demon before him, not worrying when the others would finish their parts in this. He trusted the members of his team and the other hunters to get things done and be ready to back him up when he needed them to.
Crowley smiled as he watched Gibbs. It was true that the United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant was a legend—even to demons. And it had more to do with the fact that it was the one soul that every crossroads demon longed to collect—rather like a rare, one-of-a-kind baseball card. But Gibbs had never made a deal until now and Crowley wondered what had changed.
"I've heard of you," the crossroads demon replied, smoothly. "In fact, I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time." Walking around Gibbs, he noticed that the NCIS agent turned as well, keeping the demon in view at all times. "You first popped up on my radar almost 18 years ago, actually," Crowley went on after stopping and facing off with Gibbs. "It must have been unbearable—the fact that your first true love was gone along with your only child."
Gibbs said nothing, but he stiffened as the demon spoke of Shannon and Kelly. "You don't know anything about my family," Gibbs said, quietly.
"Oh, don't I?" Crowley said, raising an eyebrow as he resumed circling Gibbs. Only this time, the senior agent stayed still. "I know whenever you're in the backyard you think about emptying that toy case buried in the garden and using it to make a deal to bring Kelly back. I know lately you've been torn between whether you would bring back Shannon or Jenny Sheppard." When he was facing Gibbs again, he added, "And I know you want to sell your soul help your goddaughter, Fiona Brendon, get the use of her legs back."
Gibbs couldn't deny that Crowley was right about everything. And the very idea that this demon could help him get back the people he cared about the most was so very tempting. He could have his family back… But it wouldn't be the same. Too much time had passed and Shannon and Kelly would be the same as when they'd died. And how would they feel if they knew that he had sold his soul to bring them back?
"Gibbs, we're done. That bastard isn't going anywhere," Dean said over the earpiece Gibbs wore.
It was excellent timing and Gibbs managed to renew his focus as he said, "You know what I'd really like?" Gibbs said after a moment.
"What's that?" Crowley said, not liking the sudden smile on Gibbs' face.
"A cup of coffee," Gibbs replied as he heard the sounds of four cars coming closer.
Crowley tried to pop out but he found that he was stuck. "Bollocks!" he shouted, glaring darkly as he looked at the 5 hunters and two NCIS agents surrounded him. "And now it's a party," he said with a sarcastic smile. "Tell me, Gibbs… Why'd you come when any of them could have been the bait?"
"What do you mean?" Ziva asked, keeping the shotgun she held aimed at Crowley's head.
But Crowley smile turned sinister as he studied her. "Each and every one of you wants something, darling." Pointing to Ellen and Jo, he said, "Mama Bear wants her man back and Baby Bear to be safe from everything dark and scary. Baby Bear just wants her daddy back." Turning to Tony, he went on. "You want your old girlfriend back and you want Special Agent Caitlin Todd back from the dead."
Looking to the Winchesters, Crowley seemed to be reading them for a moment before he said, "Sam just wants to settle down and have a family with Miss Fiona Brendon and you, Dean… You want so badly for this whole Apocalypse to just stop altogether."
Sam looked at his brother but Dean just said nothing.
"Now I could go on about Fiona wanting her parents back or Ziva wanting her sister back and for her daddy to actually love her," Crowley said, looking at the last two ladies. "But I get the feeling that you didn't go to this much trouble just to chat." Turning to Sam and Dean, he added, "So why don't we get down to what you really want, shall we?"
After getting the Colt and heading back to Bobby's, the group of hunters and federal agents started making plans.
Despite insistence from Fiona and Dean that they should go home, Tony, Ziva, and Gibbs were resolute as they promised to stay and help.
"We're talking about a suicide mission," Dean pressed as he looked at the three NCIS agents. It wasn't as though he couldn't understand the loyalty. He did, but this was more than that. Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Ziva David, and Anthony DiNozzo were basically saying that they were willing to die to help Sam, Dean, and Fiona achieve their goal of killing Lucifer.
"Yeah, we've done a few of those," Tony replied, determinedly. When Dean looked ready to argue, Tony went on. "You're talking a one-in-a-million chance to save everyone and everything we've ever cared about." Looking at Ziva and Gibbs as he thought about Abby and McGee, Tony met Dean's eyes and said, "Sometimes we save a couple thousand people. You're asking us to walk away from saving millions. Call me crazy, but that sounds like something worth laying down your life for."
Gibbs was quiet, but as he looked at Ziva, he said, "All it takes for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing. You and Sam have proved that. And I couldn't call myself a Marine if I backed down from a chance to defend those I care about."
Dean's hazel eyes were full of pain as he looked at Ziva. More than anything he wanted her far away from this. He wanted her safe and a small part of him wished they weren't so close. Because losing Ziva would be unbearable.
But Ziva understood how Dean felt and she took his hand and said, "If I die, I want to go down fighting. And I want you beside me."
x
At the dining room table, Fiona laid out a map she'd printed out of Carthage, Missouri. Looking from the map to Sam, Ellen, and Bobby, she spoke as she pointed to a street. "Main Street is here, so I figure that's where we'll shoot for." Looking at Bobby, Fiona sighed. "Although I guess you and I are sitting this one out."
"The Hell you are," Bobby said, frowning.
"Bobby?" Ellen said, confused.
"Look, I may not be up for this one, but if you're staying because of me," Bobby said, looking pointedly at Fiona. "—I'm never letting go of that."
"He's right," Ellen sighed. She didn't want Fi to come along and since it seemed like the NCIS team was coming with despite all the arguments against, it wasn't like they needed Fiona as an extra gun. No, there was some other reason Fi would be needed. Ellen could feel it in her gut, even though she couldn't exactly articulate what the feeling was precisely.
xxx
By midnight, a full plan had been developed. Tony, Gibbs, Fiona, and Castiel would be in one vehicle and would be back-up incase something happened to Dean, Sam, Ellen, Jo, or Ziva.
Bobby would be base camp and would be keeping in touch with the others over the NCIS radios Gibbs had brought along.
But once the plans were set, no one seemed ready to try and sleep.
Dean and Tony started talking about movies, music, and cars while sipping beers in the study.
Ellen and Castiel were having a drinking contest while Jo and Sam watched.
Ziva hadn't seen Gibbs for a while and after checking in on Bobby and Fi who were reviewing maps again, she decided to follow a hunch and went outside to the main garage where—as she had expected—Gibbs was bent over the engine of the 1970 Challenger he'd picked up when he'd gone back home to Stillwater, Pennsylvania. The lights were on and the senior field agent was absorbed in poking around.
At first look, one would think that Gibbs hadn't heard Ziva approaching but those who knew Gibbs best knew that the man always seemed to have an ear out for any one approaching. "Something on your mind, Ziva?" Gibbs asked, not looking up.
"Just checking on you," Ziva admitted, sitting at a nearby picnic table. "No one can sleep. And I think we're all wondering if this is our last night alive."
"It could be," Gibbs replied, lowering the hood of the car and turning to lean against the front bumper, crossing his arms and studying Ziva intently. "Sometimes you see the end coming. Sometimes you don't."
Ziva had never really given much thought to the idea of Heaven until lately. And the more she thought about it, the more she wondered what might await her on the other side. Despite her bravery and stoicism, she was afraid to die. "Do you believe in Heaven, Gibbs?"
Gibbs uncrossed his arms and went to sit across from Ziva at the picnic table. "I do, Ziva. I like to believe that good people are rewarded when they're gone."
"What do you think awaits you?" Ziva asked, quietly, her voice cracking slightly.
Gibbs took Ziva's hands in his and he waited till she met his eyes before saying, "I know that Shannon and Kelly are waiting for me. And I think your sister is waiting for you."
Ziva didn't say anything to that, but in the quiet of the salvage yard with only Gibbs to see, she let a few tears fall down her cheeks.
The next morning, everyone left without much fanfare. It seemed like no one wanted to say anything that sounded like good-bye.
Once the others were gone, Bobby sighed as he went into his study and sat down behind his desk.
It had been 6 long, hard months since he'd been shot in the knees. His legs were doing better and walking wasn't so hard anymore, but he was far from being ready to join in the fight.
Reaching into a drawer, he pulled two items out, setting them on top of the papers and detritus before pulling a silver bullet out of the pocket of his shirt. Holding the bullet in one hand, he picked up the small ring box he'd pulled out of the drawer with the other, leaning forward as he opened the box one-handed, studying the engagement ring it held before looking darkly at the bullet and then at the revolver lying on the desk.
Being in the hospital right after getting shot in the knees, Bobby couldn't imagine a worse Hell. Sure, when he'd been in the Army, he'd seen some awful things—but as a hunter, he'd seen even worse. The world was going to end. Good people were going to die bloody and he was stuck on the sidelines, unable to help them. When he'd finally got home from the hospital, Bobby had spent at least one hour of every day, wondering if it would be doing everyone—including himself—a favor to just put a bullet in his head.
The same bullet that he now held in his hand.
But looking at the ring, Bobby knew why he couldn't do it. A month ago, Bobby had spend hours talking with Jo Harvelle while Ellen was out running an 'errand' for Rufus Turner—a fellow hunter.
Jo had been amused by the fact that Bobby was asking her for permission to marry her mother. But Bobby had been happy when Jo told him she didn't mind.
More than Ellen and Jo, though, Bobby thought of Sam and Dean. Those two were like sons to him and he loved them like his own—and he knew they thought as the father they should have had. And the idea of checking out when the boys were already vulnerable because of Fiona…
Bobby put the gun and ring back in the drawer and the bullet back in his shirt pocket, leaning back in his chair with a deep sigh.
Fiona Brendon…
The first time he'd seen that girl, she'd been maybe 8 or so and James had brought her over while he went after a banshee nearby.
Now Fiona was a paralyzed former Marine, trying to chase down the forces of evil from a wheelchair.
And Bobby felt ashamed every time he realized that she never complained about what had happened. She just sucked it up and went out with Sam and Dean, not letting anything stop her.
Fiona had never—as far as anyone knew—considered suicide. On the contrary, she seemed almost obsessed with trying to help stop the Apocalypse. Maybe it was because she had broken the final seal, or as revenge for her parents' deaths—who knew?
Looking upward, Bobby sighed and hoped God was in a listening mood. "You better bring them back safe," he prayed, not caring how he sounded. "You better make sure they all come back. I couldn't take it if Sam and Dean bit it, and you know that. And Ellen…" Thinking of the bullet in his shirt pocket, he made a promise then and there.
The second Ellen stepped foot in the house again, he was going to put that ring on her finger.
If she didn't come back… he'd put the bullet in his heart.
Carthage, Missouri
The town was empty as Sam, Dean, Ellen, Ziva, and Jo rolled down Main Street. Each of them looked around for any signs that there was someone else around.
Over the earpiece he wore, Dean heard Gibbs say, "Back roads are deserted. We're parked behind the hardware store."
Turning to Sam who nodded to show he'd heard, Dean spoke into the mic that was clipped to the collar of his jacket. "Alright. Check-in every 5 minutes."
"Got it," Gibbs replied.
Castiel looked from the NCIS agents to Fiona as they all got out of the car and grabbed shotguns loaded with rocksalt rounds. Sensing something, Cas looked around and felt a growing feeling of apprehension as he notice three reapers on the rooftops.
"Cas, what is it?" Fi asked, her gun resting on her lap as her hands gripped the wheels of her wheelchair.
"Reapers," Castiel replied, grimly.
"Reapers?" She repeated, trying to see where the angel was looking. "As in more than one?"
"Am I the only one who thinks that sounds like really bad news?" Tony said, suddenly grateful that they were all wearing bulletproof vests. It might not stop everything, but hopefully the vests would keep them all alive. Seeing Castiel start walking out of the alley, Tony dashed ahead of him, hands up to stop the angel from progressing. "Whoa, whoa! Haven't you ever seen a horror movie? Stay with the group, man."
"I have to find out what the reapers are doing here," Castiel insisted.
"DiNozzo's right. We stay together," Gibbs insisted. To his surprise, the angel seemed to acknowledge his authority and nodded, albeit reluctantly.
"My apologies," Castiel said, quietly. Then, to his utmost surprise, he watched as Gibbs reached up and smacked him on the back of the head. Frowning, puzzled, he asked, "What was that for?"
"Don't apologize," Gibbs replied, simply.
"Of course," Cas muttered, a bit confused by that. However, he didn't have much time to be confused as suddenly Tony, Gibbs, and Fiona seemed to go on high alert. "What's going on?" he asked, quickly.
"Get her inside the hardware store!" Gibbs barked over his mic as he led the others into the store through the back door. Once inside, he looked at Tony. "Lock that door, DiNozzo!"
"On it, boss!" Tony replied, quickly, doing as he was ordered.
"Salt the doors and windows, too!" Fiona said, quickly, grabbing an iron chair handing on a rack before wheeling to the front door just as Sam, Ellen, and Ziva rushed in followed by Dean who was carrying a bleeding Jo. After using the chain on the door, she turned and pointed to where some bags of mulch were stacked about waist-high. "Lay her down there."
"Ziva, what happened?" Tony demanded as he looked at the young girl bleeding before him.
"Hellhounds," Dean replied, grimly. "Maybe… 5 of them."
Tony turned and glared hard at Dean who couldn't take his eyes off Jo. Ellen and Fiona were trying to stop the bleeding, but anyone with eyes could tell that it was bad. "Hellhounds?" Tony repeated. "You didn't think to mention that in the 'suicide mission speech?"
Dean turned to face Tony, his eyes full of rage and guilt. "You think I wanted this to happen? How the hell was I supposed to know that the demons would be bringing goddamned hellhounds with them?"
"Dean!" Fiona barked, looking over her shoulder. "Take Castiel and grab the black duffel from the back seat of Gibbs' car! Hurry!" Turning back to Ellen and Jo, she tried to sound reassuring. "It'll be okay, Jo. I can fix this."
Ellen knew all about empty reassurances, but when she caught Fiona's eyes, there was none of that there. When Dean and Castiel returned, lugging a heavy bag, Ellen felt herself pulled away while Fiona, Ziva, Dean tried to stop the bleeding and patch Jo up. Turning to see Gibbs holding her, she couldn't help, crying as she laid her head on his shoulder.
Ziva had seen some gruesome things both in Israel—as a child and in Mossad—and as an NCIS agent. Jo Harvelle's side was ripped open and it was hard to see all the wounds because of all the blood. At first Ziva had been worried about the pain the younger woman must be in, but noticing how quickly Fiona was working, she realized the former Marine was taking advantage of Jo being in shock from the injuries.
x
Almost an hour later, Jo was as stable as could be under the circumstances. But as Gibbs looked at the group, he knew that the young woman needed to get out of here. "Tony, Ziva…"
The two agent joined their boss and seemed ready to comply or refuse whatever order they were about to be given depending on what it was.
Gibbs seemed to sense this and looked at Tony. "I need you to get Jo out of here and to the nearest hospital."
"What about you, boss?" Tony asked, not liking the twisting in his gut as he thought about leaving Gibbs alone. But Tony knew Gibbs better than almost anyone and he recognized the set look in the older man's face. "Boss, you're not staying here?"
"Got a problem with that, DiNozzo?" Gibbs said, looking at Tony.
Tony had plenty of problems with the plan but he didn't voice any of them. He knew what his boss was doing and that there was an almost certain chance that Gibbs would die in the final showdown. But what Tony didn't know—what he was afraid to know—was if that was the whole idea. But all he could to was trust Gibbs and hope for the best. "No, boss."
"Good," Gibbs replied, stoically, even though he was wondering why Tony wasn't arguing. "You and Castiel get Ellen and Jo out of here."
Tony just nodded and after the four left through the back door, Ziva turned to Gibbs. "What is the plan?"
Gibbs looked at Sam, Dean, and Fiona and said, "You guys know anything about bomb making?"
At the hospital, Ellen watched helplessly as her daughter was whisked away to the emergency room. Sitting down in one of the plastic chairs, she bowed her head, praying that Jo would be okay. She thought of all the things she wished she'd done differently and all the things she wished she'd said.
When she heard someone sit down beside her, Ellen looked up to see Tony watching her. With a sad smile, Ellen said, "Most kids are scared of monsters in their closets. Jo wanted to fight them. Ever since she was little, she's had one goal in life. She wanted to be a hunter… more than anything. And more than anything… that was the last thing I wanted her to be." Feeling new tears sliding down her cheeks, she felt her voice break as she said, "I can't lose her, DiNozzo. I don't know what I'd do if…"
Tony turned in his seat and waited until Ellen stopped crying a moment. "You're not going to lose Jo, Ellen. I think she's too tough to go out without a fight."
Ellen mananged a choked laugh at that. Nodding, she replied, "Yeah, she probably is." Squeezing Tony's upper arm, she said, "Thanks."
"Anytime," Tony replied, giving her a smile.
Once out of the hardware store, Sam and Dean set off the bombs inside and headed for their showdown with Lucifer while Ziva, Gibbs, and Fiona went to Gibbs' car and headed out of town as fast as they could.
Getting to the field just on the edge of town, Sam and Dean hid behind a clump of bushes, staring at the small collection of townspeople standing as still as statues while one lone figure used a shovel to toss dirt onto an enormous open grave. "Okay," Sam sighed, thinking of what they were facing. "Last words?"
Dean thought for a moment but shook his head once. "I think I'm good."
Sam thought as well and finally nodded. "Yeah. Me, too."
But before they rose to face the Devil, Dean gave his brother a sideways look and his mouth twitched in a smirk. "Bitch," he said, simply.
If the situation hadn't been so dire, Sam would have laughed. But as it was, he met his big brother's eyes and replied, "Jerk."
The two stood and while Sam went to face off with Lucifer, Dean went around, pulling the Colt from inside his jacket.
"Hey!" Sam shouted, watching Lucifer look up, surprised. "You wanted to see me?"
"Sam, you don't need that gun here," Lucifer replied, leaning on the shovel. "You know I'd never hurt you. Not really, anyway."
"Yeah?" Dean said, enjoying the look of astonishment on Lucifer's face as he turned to come face to face with the Colt. "Well, I'd hurt you. So suck it," he added, putting a bullet right between the Devil's eyes.
Lucifer fell to the ground and for a moment, Sam and Dean exchanged a hopeful look. But their moment of victory was short lived as Lucifer groaned, painfully. "Owww!" Looking at Dean, Lucifer said, irritably, "Where did you get that?" Backhanding Dean, he sent the older Winchester flying through the air and crashing into a tree where he lay motionless. Seeing Sam's horrified look, Lucifer looked honestly apologetic as he said, "Don't feel too bad, Sam. There's only 5 things in all of creation that gun can't kill and I just happen to be one of them. But if you'll give me a minute, I'm almost done."
While Sam went to check on Dean, he wondered where Fiona was now and if she was safe.
"You know…" Lucifer mused as he resumed his shoveling, glancing at Sam periodically. "I don't suppose you'd just say 'yes' here and now? End this whole tiresome discussion? That's crazy, right?"
"It's never gonna happen," Sam promised as he straightened up, looking defiant.
"Oh I dunno, Sam. I think it will," Lucifer said, going back to his work. "I think it'll happen soon. Within six months. And I think it'll happen… in Detroit." After a moment, however, he shrugged. "Of course, there's always that lovely girlfriend of yours. I bet if I make her the right offer, she'd say 'yes'."
"You go anywhere near Fiona," Sam promised. "—and I will kill you myself! You understand me? I will rip your heart out!"
But instead of being intimidated, Lucifer seemed amused. "That's good, Sam," he said with a smile as he kept shoveling the dirt into the open grave. "You keep fanning that fire in your belly. All that pent-up rage? I'm going to need it."
The following morning, Ellen awoke and groaned as she felt the knots in her back and neck from sleeping in the chair next to Jo's hospital bed. Looking at her daughter, Ellen breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed the steady beeping of the machines monitoring Jo's vitals. Even the steady hissing of the ventilator was a strange comfort. Jo had gone into respiratory arrest during surgery, but the doctors had been able to keep her breathing.
"How's she doing?"
Ellen turned to see Gibbs standing in the doorway. "She'll be okay," Ellen said, her voice weary. But watching Jo, she couldn't help thinking of how close she came to losing her little girl.
"I know how it is," Gibbs said as he watched the unconscious young woman. "My daughter and my first wife were killed in a car crash nearly 19 years ago," he added, quietly.
Ellen slowly got to her feet and rolled her neck. Turning to face Gibbs, she stroked his cheek with one hand. "Thank you, Gibbs."
Gibbs smiled and nodded towards the hallway. "Bobby's waiting outside for you."
Ellen started for the door, but stopped and gave Gibbs a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving the room.
Gibbs slowly sat down, watching Jo Harvelle. From what little he had seen so far, she was as smart and tough as her mother. And a sad thought crossed his mind as he leaned forward and brushed Jo's hair out of her face. Jo was so much like Kelly. Leaning back in his chair, Gibbs wished more than anything he could see his family one more time.
x
"Bobby?" Ellen said, surprised that he had come out here just to check on her and Jo.
But Bobby limped over to her, pulling out a small box. "Ellen, I…" He let out a laugh as the whole speech he'd rehearsed on the plane ride down fled his mind. But finally he said, "I know this would be more romantic elsewhere and if I could actually kneel, but…" He opened the box and gave Ellen a second to understand. "Ellen Elizabeth Harvelle… Will you marry me?"
Ellen was speechless, but the tears in her eyes and the smile on her face was answer enough.