Memories:

[lanternslight]

It's not common for rainstorms to hit Coast City this time of year, but today is an exception. Henry's sleeping over at his uncle's house tonight due to a late night handling Green Lantern business, and Hal Jordan is left standing on his balcony, staring up at the rain coming down.

And he's thinking.

He remembers meeting Carol as a child. He

Comments

[carol_ferris]

Carol wasn't sleeping all that well thanks to the stupid bet. There'd been a time she could've been a happy bride with Hal as the groom, but their history couldn't be worse. She was beginning to believe Hal was right. She would blink first but not for the reasons he thought. It would simply hurt too much to be married on a bet and not really wanted.

The tapping at the window didn't have to be loud to rouse her from a fitful sleep. She threw back the covers and went to the window. At the sight of Hal, she didn't have the heart to glare. Now she couldn't accuse him of make her a public joke. He could jilt her in private and maybe she could get some sleep.

She opened the window without a word.

[lanternslight]

He glides in and lands on the ground. "Carol... it's always been you."

[carol_ferris]

Carol took her robe from the foot of her bed and slipped it on. "I don't doubt you mean it."

[lanternslight]

"I'm dead serious about marrying you, Carol. I don't want it to be because of a bet. I want it to be because you're ready, too."

[carol_ferris]

"Forgive me for being a little skeptical on the subject. We've never managed to be at the same place in all this."

[lanternslight]

"If I didn't leave you at the altar... would you follow through with your end? Are you ready for this?"

[carol_ferris]

"You mean, am I ready to be Mrs. Green Lantern? Because... Hal, take off the costume. We might've been yelling at each other as Star Sapphire and Green Lantern, but Carol Ferris and Hal Jordon are the ones involved here."

[lanternslight]

The costume is gone, replaced instantly by his street clothes.

"No, are you ready to be married to Hal Jordan. I've given up my ring for you before, and I'd do it again if I had to."

[carol_ferris]

"No, I'm not asking you to do that again." She sat down on the end of the bed. "I could be ready to marry Hal Jordan, but Hal Jordan didn't ask. And I need to know why now the subject coming up. I'm not marrying on a whim and then dealing with the fall out. I've done that and it hurts when everything falls apart."

[lanternslight]

"Hell, I don't know why the subject came up. You were there, too." He sits down next to her. "Maybe the real question is... when hasn't it been there between us?"

[carol_ferris]

"You know the answer to that. Every time you were with another woman, and when I was married." Her failures were never so obvious as they were when Hal was around.

"But I understand what you're saying. We've been caught in this relationship for so long, it has to change or we're not going to like each other very much."

[lanternslight]

"So let's change it. Let's do what we should have done ages ago. Let's go through with it on Wednesday... not because of a bet, but because it's time, and delaying it any longer is drawing it out when it doesn't need to be."

[carol_ferris]

"So ask me, Hal. A woman likes to be wooed with sweet words and declarations of undying passion. Even one who's waited to catch you between girlfriends for years."

[lanternslight]

Hal smiles. He fishes in his jacket pocket and pulls out a ring.

"This... was my mom's," he tells her. "Jim gave it to me." He gets off the bed, faces her, then goes down on one knee, holding the ring out.

"Carol Ferris... will you marry me?"

[carol_ferris]

Carol smiled back and leaned in to put a hand on his face and press a kiss to his mouth. "I'll marry you, Hal Jordan."

She kissed him again and straightened to examine the ring. She ran a fingertip over the stone and gave him her hand to slip it on, a la Prince Charming. "It's beautiful By the way, I've sold the Pay-Per-View rights to the ceremony. You'll have ten percent of the gross for Henry's college fund."

[lanternslight]

He blinks at her, then laughs.

"Max Lord. The bastard. We doing this in costume, then?"