(Author's Note: Okay, y'all knew this chapter was coming... Also, early update this week, due to the fact that I have family stuff going on Sunday, which is when I usually update. You're welcome.

Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)

"What's going on?" Katherine asked abruptly, and the room fell silent. Jack stiffened, glancing desperately at Davey and Crutchie, hoping for some shred of advice, but they looked as surprised as he was. The four of them had been sitting in a small back room in Medda's theatre, talking and laughing while Jack worked on a new backdrop. Nothing had seemed amiss, that is, until Katherine started doing that reporter thing, figuring things out before she was supposed to know about them.

"C'mon," she continued, after receiving no response the first time, "You've been acting strange all day, all three of you!" Jack wracked his brain, trying in vain to think of something to say. "Don't think I didn't notice; I'm a reporter. It's my job to notice things. What's going on?" She stood up and glared at the three boys. Davey and Crutchie turned to Jack, clearly unsure of what to do, so he set down his paints, took Katherine's hand, and said cautiously,

"What do ya mean, Ace? There's nothing-"

"Jack Kelly," she hissed, yanking her hand away and narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously, "I know you better than anyone else. You're hiding something." Jack sighed.

"Look, everything's fine," he said calmly, hoping she would believe him.

She didn't. She rolled her eyes, turning to the other boys.

"Davey? Crutchie? Please?"

Jack silently begged them not to say anything. They both knew the reason he'd been acting strangely; they were the only ones that knew, and he hoped they knew better than to breathe a word of it.

"I-uh-there's nothing, Katherine," Crutchie stammered. Jack was relieved, but not for long, because Katherine stared going off again.

"Why won't anyone tell me what the hell is going on here?" She shouted. Jack felt a little guilty. She did have every right to be upset, but if she would just wait a few days...

"Well?" She barked impatiently.

"I can't-" Jack began, but she cut him off.

"Why can't you tell me?"

"It's nothing, Ace!"

"If it was nothing, you could tell me!"

"Katherine-"

"Why don't you trust me?"

"I do trust you!"

"Jack-"

"Fine." He couldn't stand to argue with her any longer.

"What is it?" She yelled. Jack grabbed both her hands, forcing her to look him in the eyes and breathed quietly,

"Katherine Louise Plumber, will you marry me?"

"No!" The room was silent. Jacky's heart dropped into his stomach, and he turned away from her to face his astounded friends.

"Damnit!" He spat, clenching his fists. His heart was pounding loudly. He wasn't planning on this. Not at all. He hadn't even planned on asking her yet, but she was so upset, and he just sort of blurted it out without thinking... and she said no.

"Wait," her timid voice interrupted his thoughts, and Jack looked over to see that she had started to cry, just a little bit, a look of both shock and panic filling her eyes. "Can you give us a minute?" She said to Crutchie and Davey. They quickly scurried out of the room, but Jack had a feeling they'd just as quickly have their ears pressed against the door to listen.

"That's why you were acting strange?" She asked, moving close to him again, "You were going to ask me to marry you?"

"Er, sometime soon," Jack admitted, a little sheepishly.

"You-you really want to marry me?" She seemed to be having a hard time comprehending that fact. Jack just laughed,

"If you haven't already noticed, I'm kinda madly in love with you."

"Jack, I-I'm so sorry. Yes, yes I want to marry you. Uh, do I get another shot at it?"

"Well I dunno, you already said no," he teased, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Jack Kelly!"

"Okay, okay," he chuckled, "What do you say, Katherine? Will you marry me?"

"Yes." And she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. After a moment, Jack remembered what was sitting in his pocket.

"Oh, wait," he pulled the tiniest bit away from her and took out the little black box. "Davey reckoned I should keep it with me, ya know, incase I went and did something, well, something like this I guess." As soon as she saw the ring, Katherine began to tear up again. Jack slid the simple, gold band on her finger, relieved that she liked it.

"It was my mother's, her wedding ring," he explained. "She-uh-she would've really liked you. She'd have wanted you to have it."

"Really?" Katherine asked shakily, and Jack nodded.

"It's beautiful," she breathed, admiring it on her hand.

"You're beautiful," Jack whispered, and closed what little space there was left between their lips before she could respond.

It would have been a lovely moment, except suddenly, the door banged open, sending Davey and Crutchie tumbling to the ground. Jack only heard this though, because for once, the commotion didn't cause he and Katherine to jump apart like it usually did; they were too absorbed in each other to care.

"It got quiet in here and-oh," Davey muttered under his breath upon looking up from the floor, while Crutchie merely let out a low whistle. Jack just shooed them away with his free hand and kept kissing her, his Katherine, the soon to be Katherine Louise Kelly.

He could get used to that.

(I think this is one of my favorites that I've written. Let me know what you think! Reviews would be lovely, especially since I've been working hard on this one for a while. Ask me in a review or PM me if you're curious to know what inspired this. It's really cute. I promise.

Much Love,
PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)