Last Chance Chapter 62: Dinner and a Show - Pt 2: The Proposal, a batman fanfic

Part Two of "Dinner and a Show" a.k.a "The Proposal"

No Warnings . . . (Except maybe for some tissues)

Morris called for a break.

Elle looked at him like he was nuts! They were only four songs into the playlist! What was he doing?

"What's going on?" Elle turned off her mike.

"Problem with the sound system. Take just a moment," Morris told her. "Go see Dick and his family for ten minutes or so."

"Oh, my God, what a night for things to go wrong," she grumbled, rubbing her forehead to rid herself of the beginnings of a headache. "I just saw some of my friends in the audience that must have traveled a couple of hours to get here in order to hear me sing! Please hurry, Morris."

"It will go faster if you leave me alone to fix it," he groused. "Go say hi to your friends and leave me alone for few, okay?"

"Sure. Sure." Elle turned on her mike and explained to the audience that due to technical difficulties there would be a short break. She set the mike down and Brian helped her down the stairs.

She went straight for Dick's table. "I'm so sorry," she apologized. Even Alfred, Tim, and Damian had come to hear her sing.

Bruce eased her mind. "It happens sometimes. Don't worry about it. We're not going anywhere. You sang beautifully."

She smiled at the compliment, as she acknowledged her college girlfriends and their spouses. "Oh, I see some friends of mine I want to introduce you to, Dick. I can't believe they drove all the way to Bludhaven to hear me sing!"

Dick caught her arm. "There is someone else who came a long way to see you as well."

Elle turned and gasped. Her father was being pushed over to their table by Lazlo.

"Poppa? Oh, my God, what are you doing here? Did the doctor say it was okay for you to travel so far?" Elle bent to kiss her father's cheek even as she scolded him.

Tears glistened in the elder man's eyes. "You sing like an angel, Bella! Like an angel! Your mother would have been so proud of you. I had no idea your voice was so breath-taking! How could I have not known this?"

Elle hugged her father. He had never had the time to actually sit down and listen to her sing before. He had always told her to put away the music and work for him. She glanced up at Lazlo.

"What did his doctors say about this," she asked.

Lazlo shrugged. "Why don't you ask them? They came with him." Lazlo indicated the two gentlemen sitting at a different table. With them were Hendricks and Edward and Hugh.

"What made you come tonight of all nights?" Elle asked, frowning.

She looked back at her friends and waved. It seemed a huge coincidence that Dick's family came the same night as her father and several of her out of the area friends. Was there something going on that she was unaware of?

"I was free," he smiled slyly, his eyes drifting beyond her should to where Dick stood behind her.

She frowned, growing a little suspicious. She turned back to Dick when Robert touched Dick's elbow, drawing his attention.

"Excuse me, Mr. Grayson, but you have a phone call."

Dick frowned now. "I put my phone on silent earlier," he said, pulling his cell out of his pocket, and turning it to vibrate. "Did they say who was calling?"

"He identified himself with the Bludhaven Police Department," Robert told him. "Shannon didn't tell me his name."

"What?" Elle grasped his hand. "Will you be back?"

Dick sighed. "I don't know, sweetheart. It was important enough that they tracked me down, though. I could be a while."

"Oh, no," Elle pouted. She hadn't even gotten to introduce him to her friends yet.

Dick kissed her temple. "I'm sorry. I'll try to get back here before you're through. If not, have Bruce take you home."

"B-But . . ." Dick was already making his way to the front door before she could tell him to be careful.

"Come, Bella," Cedric told her. "I have yet to greet Bruce Wayne this evening."

Elle tore her eyes away from Dick's quickly retreating back, and led her father to the Wayne table. She blinked rapidly. What looked to be a wonderful evening was going all wrong! She forced a smile on her face. The show must go on, after all.

She greeted everyone individually this time; taking care to make Alfred feel especially welcome. Bruce offered her Dick's chair for the remaining time. She glanced around and saw that Morris was still fiddling with the equipment next to Steve, their soundman. There was music that was being piped in, so the people wanting to dance were still having a good time. She wondered why the canned music was fine, but the live music wasn't. If it was the connections, why were they messing with the sound board?

She sat and allowed herself to be drawn into conversation for several minutes longer, until Brian walked out on the stage again. Elle looked startled. Had she lost track of time? Were they ready to begin again?

"Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for your patience this evening and want to assure you the technical difficulties have been taken care of and the performance will go on."

Elle made to stand up, when Brian continued.

"But before our lovely Miss Hamilton comes back to the stage," he said. "We have a special guest here tonight who would like to entertain you with a song or two."

A man in a tuxedo stepped out onto the stage from behind the curtain making last minute adjustments to a wireless headset. Elle frowned. His face was turned away, but he seemed very familiar. Elle felt a flutter of nervousness and excitement wash over her. Those weren't her feelings. She was feeling upset and confused.

Please, give a warm welcome to Mr. Richard Grayson-Wayne!" Brian stepped back as Dick turned to face the audience.

Elle's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock.

B-But when did he . . . She spun in her chair to glance behind her, and then back to the stage again. He'd only been gone for a few minutes! When did he have time to change? What was he doing?

"Is that Grayson?" Damian voice cut through the fog. "What the hell is he doing up there?"

"Shut up, Damian," Tim hushed him.

"You shut up," the boy snapped back.

The music started at that moment, and both boys fell silent.

Bruce leaned over to Alfred and whispered. "I'm not sure what I was expecting tonight, but it wasn't this."

Elle hadn't expected it either.

Dick walked over to the spot she had stood when she had serenaded him. He stepped to the edge of the stage and sat down. He was still high enough to be easily seen by all, but he was closer to her level. And then he started singing and the world for her simply . . . stopped.

I am amazed
When I look at you
I see you smiling back at me
It's like all my dreams come true

I am afraid
If I lost you girl
I'd fall through the cracks and lose my track
In this crazy lonely world

Sometimes it's so hard to believe
When the nights can be so long
And faith gave me the strength
And kept me holding on

You are the love of my life
And I'm so glad you found me
You are the love of my life
Baby put your arms around me
I guess this is how it feels
When you finally find something real
My angel in the night
You are my love
Love of my life

She hadn't moved. She hadn't glanced away, not even once. Her elbows were on the table as she leaned forward; her hands were clutched together in front of her. During the chorus, her breath caught and tears began to fall from her lashes.

Now here you are
With midnight closing in
You take my hand as our shadows dance
With moonlight on your skin

I look in your eyes
I'm lost inside your kiss
I think if I'd never met you
About all the things I'd missed

Sometimes it's so hard to believe
When a love can be so strong
And faith gave me the strength
And kept me holding on

There were many beautiful songs in the world. Many of those songs had touched her heart and made her long for something she had never experienced before. She had poured out her heart in many of the songs she had sung, but none had ever been sung to her. Always the songs seemed to take a little something from her; something that she shared with those that heard her.

This time, however . . . This time the song gave back to her. This time it seemed to fill her up until there was no room left inside for all of the emotions to go, and some of them had to leak from her eyes and run unhindered down her face.

What a wonderful gift! Elle was laughing and weeping openly as Dick hopped to his feet. She covered her mouth with her hands as she struggled to regain her composure. She wiped uselessly at her streaming eyes, and said a little prayer of thanks for waterproof mascara.

She glanced to either side of her to find everyone, but Damian, grinning at her; even her father. Damian was glaring hard at his older brother, making Elle snort with laughter. Further away, though, it seemed as though all the women were just as weepy as she was, so she didn't feel so bad for her lack of control.

The music suddenly started playing again and Elle looked up at the stage, startled. What was he doing now? Several of her backup singers, including a few who weren't supposed to be here came pouring out of the backstage area. The music was familiar and it suddenly clicked what the song was just as Dick started moving down the steps and in her direction.

Elle straightened; gasping in shock just as he began singing . . .

It's a beautiful night,
We're looking for something dumb to do.
Hey baby,
I think I wanna marry you.

Is it the look in your eyes,
Or is it this dancing juice?
Who cares baby,
I think I wanna marry you.

Dick reached her. Lazlo had already pulled her father's wheelchair out of the way and Dick tugged her out of her chair. He led her through the tables and onto the dance floor.

Well I know this little chapel on the boulevard we can go oh oh oh,
No one will know oh oh oh,
Oh, come on, girl.
Who cares if we're trashed got a pocket full of cash we can blow oh oh oh,
Shots of patron,
And it's on, girl.

The people there had moved off, and Elle saw her friends and their spouses had joined her singers in doing a little choreographed flashdance. Then a several people that Elle recognized from Dick's precinct ran out with them, and several more that Elle didn't even know.

Oh, my God, she thought excitedly; grinning madly at the show in front of her. It was just like on those romantic videos that she loved so much! Dick let go of her hand as he ran out to join them in the dance.

Don't say no, no, no, no-no;
Just say yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah;
And we'll go, go, go, go-go.
If you're ready, like I'm ready.

Elle felt people moving up behind her. She peeked over her shoulder to see that Bruce was standing beside her. Her father rolled up to her other side. People from all over the restaurant had left their tables to surround the dance floor. Overwhelmed, she quickly turned back to the show in front of her, not wanting to miss a thing.

Cause it's a beautiful night,
We're looking for something dumb to do.
Hey baby,
I think I wanna marry you.

Is it the look in your eyes,
Or is it this dancing juice?
Who cares baby,
I think I wanna marry you.

He backed up and began dancing again with the others. She shook her head amazed. When had he had time to do this? She had been so caught up in speaking to lawyers about the company, rehearsals, and getting ready for the holiday season . . . she had been too busy to notice anything unusual was going on.

Dick ran over to her and began singing directly to her.

I'll go get a ring let the choir bells sing like oooh,
So what you wanna do?
Let's just run girl.

If we wake up and you wanna break up that's cool.
No, I won't blame you;
It was fun, girl.

Dick grabbed her hand and pulled her out onto the dance floor this time. Elle almost panicked. She didn't know the choreography, but Dick merely pulled her into his arms and began dancing with her as they would normally. He spun her around and brought her back in, and she began laughing.

Don't say no, no, no, no-no;
Just say yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah;
And we'll go, go, go, go-go.
If you're ready, like I'm ready.

Cause it's a beautiful night,
We're looking for something dumb to do.
Hey baby,
I think I wanna marry you.

Is it the look in your eyes,
Or is it this dancing juice?
Who cares baby,
I think I wanna marry you.

Just say I doooooo-ooo uhu,
Tell me right now baby,
Tell me right now baby, baby.

Just say I doooooo-ooo uhu,
Tell me right now baby,
Tell me right now baby, baby

Dick slowed down and held her hands as he sang to her.

Oh, it's a beautiful night,
We're looking for something dumb to do.
Hey baby,
I think I wanna marry you.

Is it the look in your eyes,
Or is it this dancing juice?
Who cares baby,
I think I wanna marry you.

He tugged a small box out of his pocket and knelt in front of her. Elle felt a little lightheaded. Why she was so dizzy and excited and thrilled beyond measure she didn't know. They were bondmates, for God's sake. This didn't mean anything. This was just a piece of jewelry. Only a piece a paper for society. Just a silly, little ceremony that in the course of things didn't represent even a tenth of what it meant to be bonded . . .

A silly, little ceremony that she wanted more than anything else in the entire world! One in which she could stand in front of all her family and friends and declare herself to this man; this one, perfect man!

The tears were back.

Jasmine and Randi came up beside her and hugged her from behind, in effect, holding her upright when she might have crashed down on her bottom in front of everyone. She would be eternally grateful for their support, quite literally.

Sweat ran down Dick's face, and he licked his lips. Elle suddenly realized that he was as nervous as she was! But why? He had to know what her answer would be! He hadn't acted nervous as he had danced and sang and made a general spectacle of himself in front of a hundred people. Of course, she was so overwhelmed by her own emotions that she had had no idea what he had been feeling through most of it.

"Elle," he began. "I never believed in love at first sight until I met you. I've met beautiful women aplenty and many have caught my eye throughout the years, but not one of them had ever made me catch my breath in astonishment or wonder. None had ever made my heart skip a beat and then pound like it was some mad drummer. None had ever made me forget the world and those around me just by walking into a room . . ." He smiled. "Or onto a stage.

"None but you. I came back every night because seeing you, hearing you sing, watching you move became necessary to my continued existence; just like the air I breathe. You made a believer out of me. Just when I think I couldn't love you more, I wake up and discover that I do. It grows every day . . . exponentially!

"You are my soul mate, Arabella Loren Hamilton. My bondmate. My lover and my friend. But I discovered that I would not be complete unless you are mine in every way possible. And because of that, and because I can think of no greater joy in life than to spend it making you happy, and because I want to stand in front of everyone and declare myself to you . . ."

"You mean, kind of like you're doing now," she asked him with a watery smile.

Dick laughed, and the crowd chuckled right along with him. Elle felt some of his tension ease out of him.

"Yeah, kind of like I'm doing now," he grinned.

And then the grin relaxed into a soft upturning of his lips. "Elle, would you be my wife," Dick asked her softly. He opened the box and held it up to her. "Will you marry me?"

The ring sparkled in the spotlight that they stood in. It looked nothing like the ring he had once given Babs. This one was white gold and the single, perfect, carat diamond that was accented on either side by three trilliant-cut sapphires. It was perfect! It was so beautiful . . . And he had picked it out just for her.

With one shaking hand she picked up the box, and with the other she caressed his face. She nodded.

"There is nothing in this world I would love more than to be your wife, Richard John Grayson-Wayne. Yes, I will marry you."

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The first song listed is "Love Of My Life" (feat. Michael W. Smith) was written by Tom Douglas and Jim Brickman and is from Jim Brickman's album, Destiny. Released in 1999 under the label Windham Hill.

The second song is "Marry You" – written by Bruno Mars Ari Levine and Phillip Lawrence. Released in Aug. of 2011 as a single from the album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans under the labels Atlantic and Elektra.

I own no part of either song.