A/N Today Monday 23rd October (hopefully I did that right, it is Sunday night for me, but it is EARLY Monday for most) since Power of the Doctor came graced our screens. It made a proper introduction to Ace for me, here I am now watching her episodes every week since January, and strongly shipping her and Graham. Hope ya'll enjoy the story. Please read and review.
Ace and Graham are relaxing on her couch, her head on his shoulder, his arm around her, "you know what is happening soon, Dear?"
"I do not," she lies knowing exactly what is going on.
"In less than a week it will be one year since we met. I also met Kate and Tegan." She sits up more facing him with a furrowed brow.
"Meeting my best friend is a footnote?"
"Compared to meeting a woman who captured my heart." He explains why he said the order of everything.
"Graham." She sighs and shakes her head.
"What it's true, you have my heart. Though I think we should do something special with everyone, then later you and I can have a private celebration."
"That private one can start now." She lays her lips on his and her tongue easily slips into his mouth and they tangle.
"MMm Ace," he tries to speak, "as much as I love doing this."
"If you want something else you can enjoy then stop talking," he feels her hand move down and he grabs her hand.
"Dear, I want to plan something for everyone."
"And the idea of getting together monthly with everyone who is alive that traveled with the Doctor."
"If I'm honest that was only a part of it." He looks away from her acting shy.
"The other part?"
"Getting to know you. You captured my heart in that volcano. When you said you were Ace, I knew you weren't kidding."
"I love you too John." She puts her thumb under his chin bringing their eyes together again.
"I love you Dorothy."
"I want to kiss you right now Graham," she leans closer to him again and they end up horizontal. "Sorry, you wanted to talk about planning something?"
"Yeah, give me a minute Love." She gets off the couch and comes back with a notepad knowing that he needed to readjust himself before she sat back down.
"My old fashioned man, let's start planning."
"You love it though." He sits up.
"I do, it makes me know you're true." She sits down next to him. "What are you thinking about the celebration?"
"Something small and nice, but a surprise for everyone."
"Not me?" She puts her hand over her chest acting like she's in shock.
"I want your help in the planning."
"Because I know how to plan things."
"That and I love your brain." They get to work and start planning something small for everyone. Not for the first time in so many months Graham has thought about what a life together with her would be like. He gets an idea of the perfect way to end the night. Ace yawns, "I think it's time for bed."
"You're spending the night?" She forgets that he is home now.
"Is someone forgetting what happened last week?"
"You moved in." She remembers smiling.
"I did, it would've happened a little sooner if we didn't go on that two month mission."
"After two weeks of sharing that small bed, is what made me decide to ask you." Sometimes she wishes their bed was only a full and not a king, though they always end up spooning.
"I was thinking of asking you already. Considering we spent most of our free time together already. Now let's get you to bed."
The next morning Ace enters A Charitable Earth talking on the phone with Graham. "I'll see you at home where everything can be more private, I love you."
"I love you too, remember do not tell Nyssa about what we are planning. I know it took her longer to get to the meetings."
"She was nervous, but I am here, so I will see you later."
"For as long as you want me."
"Then settle for forever, because I am not letting you go anytime soon."
"Good, I am the same way. Have fun at work my Firestarter." As she hangs up Nyssa is there smiling at her.
"Good weekend with Graham?"
"Very good, what about you, Tegan and your kids."
"They didn't come by, but that's ok." Nyssa knows how busy they are with their own lives.
"You should come to the meeting with Tegan next weekend."
"I might."
"Good." They get to work meanwhile at an undisclosed location Graham with a cup of coffee in hand walks up to Ace's closest friend.
"Tegan," she looks up and takes the preferred drink.
"You want something don't you?" She hums as the warm liquid loaded with caffeine rolls down her throat.
"I need your advice on something, something I would rather talk in private about."
"Lunch then, unless you already have plans with Ace?" Tegan knows on most days Graham sneaks away for a lunch with Ace as UNIT with friends of the Doctor doesn't have many rules.
"I don't; I told her there's a chance that I would be busy." Tegan can see how nervous he is and wonders what is going on.
Four hours later Tegan and Graham walk out of the building and make their way to a café, "what is going on?" She asks Graham who was fiddling with the napkin.
"You know Ace better than anyone right?"
"Maybe, but I have a feeling you are getting past me; which is how it should be."
"Has she ever talked to you about the way she would like to be proposed to?"
"Not really, are you thinking about asking her?"
With a large nervous smile, "I am."
"When?"
"At the next meeting, promise me that you won't tell anyone including Nyssa."
"Is it a special reason as to why?"
"What is the day?"
"29th of October."
"What is so important about that date?"
"Tegan what happened last fall?"
"It has been a year since everything with the Doctor, Master, Cybermen and the Daleks?" It finally dawns on her what happened a year ago.
"And since I met you, Kate and Ace." He says Ace's name with a large smile growing on his face.
"There is more you are keeping from me." Their waitress comes and takes their order.
"I am but first can you please help me come up with a way to ask her to marry me?"
"I am not the romantic one, you should ask Nyssa."
"She would tell Ace, you are better at secrets."
"That is my wife." She tries to get a rise out of him.
"I know and she is amazing, I know that. I also know she would be bouncing to tell Ace what I am planning to do in two weeks."
"Is there anything else?"
"Ace and I are planning a celebration about the year we encountered the Doctor again and my idea of everyone getting together at least once a month as a therapy session."
"You are going to be busy with her."
"I don't mind it, any excuse to spend more time with her I will take." Tegan sees all the love he has for her friend.
"It is refreshing to see someone so in love with all of her and not just one side." Their food arrives, they eat and head back to work. Tegan agreeing to help him with his plan to ask Ace to marry him.
2 weeks later Graham is downstairs putting on his shoes when he notices the time. "Ace, hurry up or we'll be late."
"I'm coming." She comes down wearing a blue power suit. "Can you please hand me my Doc Martens?"
"I can, may I say you look breathtaking."
After a small laugh, "you always say that." She changes the laces quickly back to her blue ones and grabs her old trusty jacket. "Recognize what I am wearing?"
"Everything you were that day and when we had the CSG for the first time."
"I wasn't wearing everything the same then and now."
"What," his voice croaks.
"Today I have you on my arm and my heart. The first meeting I had you on my mind and how the Professor was doing."
"Well, who knows maybe by the end of the night you will have something else on you."
"Hmmm," she looks him over and drags him in for a quick deep kiss. "I will definitely have something different ON me tonight."
"Acccceeee." Graham almost wines trying to think of anything else but the woman that is in front of him beneath him.
"Come on Yogi we need to get there." They make their way to the small building that they rent out for each meeting. "Why are you nervous?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're shaking, it's not cold out."
"I don't know why."
"Are you getting sick?"
"No I'm not. If I felt like I was, I wouldn't have kissed you back."
"I wouldn't have cared." She smiles at him as she continues driving when they arrive where they needed to be. Graham jumps out and looks around hoping everyone will be late for once.
"How many are going to be on time?" Ace knows she is usually late and half the time the cause of Graham being late too.
"Dear, we are usually late."
"A few of those times were for a very good reason."
"Ace, now isn't the time to remind me of those times."
"Graham, stop." He turns and faces her. "Tell me what is going on in your mind."
"I." She looks deeply into his eyes. "I am nervous, but about something I want to surprise you with."
"Graham, don't be. Whatever it is, I am sure I will love it. So please go back to being the man I fell in love with."
"Ok," he lightly touches his lips with hers. "Can we please go set up before everyone shows up?"
"We can," she goes to the boot and opens it up. "Graham, can you take this box from me?" He takes the box as she grabs the other and the two enter the room to start setting everything up. Not long later Graham comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist and kisses her cheek.
"Thank you. We did a good job."
Laying her hands over his she turns her head to his smiling before pecking his lips, "see what we accomplished when you calmed down."
"With you by my side I can accomplish anything."
"Get a room you two," they hear the unmistakable voice of Tegan, "you two are so cute I almost need a bin to puke in."
"Tegan let them be, they're in love." Nyssa comes around her wife and gives Ace a quick hug.
"You came." Ace is happy to see both of her friends there.
"I did, for some reason both you and Tegan insisted that I needed to come today."
"It seems Graham has a surprise for me. It had him acting all weird." She watches as Tegan's eyes go from wide to relaxed. "You know, don't you?"
"I have known what it is, and I am not surprised." Nyssa looks around.
"What is going on?"
"One year ago last Monday, I met more of the Doctor's friends. Yes I knew there was more because I met Captain Jack and he mentioned Rose."
"You did all of this," asks the Trakenite.
"With the help of Ace." He adds with a large smile, Tegan and Nyssa can see all the love in his eyes and hear it in his voice. Others start to filter in and are astonished at the decorations. "Hello everyone, this month one year ago an idea formed in my mind that there are many people who knew the Doc in one point of their lives."
"Don't forget that you met the person who is on your arm," Ryan says.
"That is just a bonus. Now let's get started."
After the meeting Ace comes up behind him, "me being a bonus isn't what you said earlier."
"I know they don't have to know you were my favorite part of that and one of the reasons I wanted to do this group was a reason to get to know you."
"Now look at us," she smiles at him.
"Yeah," he says dreamily, "look at us."
"Come on you two, you planned this party, come join," mumbles a drunk Jo.
"Dear," Graham holds out his hand, "want to join me?"
"Always." They move closer to the laughter. Tegan shoots Graham a look who nods as in saying not yet. Ace grabs Graham a piece of cake. "I know you are hungry, here you go."
"Thank you." He eats a little of it when he sees Ryan move away from everyone. "I am going to talk to Ryan a little bit."
"Ok, want me to come with," they are sitting down now talking to Tegan, Nyssa, Jo and Kate.
He kisses her nose, "no you stay here."
"Do you know what he is doing Tegan?"
"I have an inkling." Tegan watches on as Graham walks up to his grandson and takes something from him. He turns around and sends a nervous smile at Tegan. "Everyone, let's head back inside." She grabs Nyssa's hand and almost drags her in. Tegan stayed sober knowing what was happening tonight.
"Tegan, why are you dragging Nyssa, she may have sobered up a bit; you still shouldn't drag her like that."
"You really need to be coming with us, Ace, you two also. You will want to see this." Ace doesn't move, "Come on Dorothy, you know Graham has a surprise for you. It is time for it." Hearing her given name brings her back.
"Coming." As she walks back in, Graham slowly meets her in the middle. He takes her left hand into his, "Graham?"
"I have a question for you Dorothy."
"What is it," thinking she knows what it is she tries to keep tears out of her voice.
"I love you."
"I love you too," everyone surrounds them and most gasp as Graham gets down on one knee.
"The day we met lit a fire in me. Every day since then, especially since you gave me your number has been better than the last. When we talked about planning something special tonight a few weeks ago and you got that notepad, I knew at that moment what I had been thinking of the past few weeks is how I would want to end the night. Dorothy Gale McShane, will you marry me?"
"Yes, I will marry you," she bends over kissing him, lips attached with her hands on his cheeks. "I will love to be your wife," she reaffirms after the kiss breaks. He reaches up to grab her left hand and slides the ring on her ring finger. Then brings her hand up to his lips and kisses it.
"This is what I meant when I said that you might have something more on when we got home."
"Now I understand your nerves. You didn't have to be nervous. I would have said yes to a pop can ring."
"I know you wouldn't have cared about the ring, I just worried about the yes and if you would've been ok with me asking in front of everyone."
"Graham, that part I didn't care about, all I care about is you."
"That is what Tegan more or less said." With that Tegan walks straight up to them with Nyssa.
"Let me see the ring," Nyssa says, knowing her wife and how she tries to shy away from showing her femininity in front of most people. Ace shows it still looking at Graham as her hand gets grabbed and tugged as everyone gets a look at the small diamond ring Graham picked out just for Ace.
"In one year we have met here 11 times, most of you work for me, two people fell in love and are about to get married. I say what a year," Kate Stewart says as everyone celebrates their engagement.
The End
