RP with agentsullivan | Morning after the proposal before

[paramedically]

Andrew had fed and changed Jamie, putting her in one of the new little dresses Ali had bought specially for their holiday, and then settled her back in her crib with the mobile going and her sippy cup, which she still didn't actually drink from. She just liked to suck and gnaw on it until she was a little drool factory, so he made sure she had a

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[agentsullivan]

Ali rolled over onto her side and curled in towards him. She squeezed his fingers softly and let out a long, slow breath. "I've got an upset stomach," she told him, using her other hand to rub her stomach a little. She looked over in the direction of the crib. "Is Sunshine okay? I need to get up and feed her or she'll scream the Southern Hemisphere down."

[paramedically]

Andrew stroked her soft hair. "It's okay. Just relax. She's all fed, changed and playing with her sippy cup. She's not made a sound all morning." He tipped his head a little to see her face. "Is it a too much birthday chocolate stomach ache or a second thoughts stomach ache?" he asked with a small smile.

[agentsullivan]

Ali linked her fingers with his again and caught sight of the diamond ring on her finger. After taking the photo of it to send to Izzy, she had put it back on and hadn't taken it off. "No second thoughts," she promised him. "Maybe I'm freaking out a little bit inside, but I'm not regretting in. In fact, last night, I think you made me the happiest I've ever been, only second to how it feels to be a Mummy. Maybe it's a happiness hangover? I'm waiting for it to stop being real."

[paramedically]

"A happiness hangover?" Andrew laughed. He moved further up onto the bed and laid down beside her, wrapping his arms around her to give her a soft kiss. "It's real. I was worried it might be too much too soon for you, and I wouldn't have been offended if you said no. It just felt right. I love you so much and I wanted you to know that. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and with Jamie. I think maybe you're just overwhelmed and tired. I know we were going to have another day out today, but lets just stay here and rest. Just be together. At least then if it's not a happiness hangover and you're going to still feel sick later, I can take care of you."

[agentsullivan]

Ali smiled and cuddled in against him. "I like that idea. Maybe it was too much chocolate, I'm not going to ever admit to such a crime, though. There can't possibly be such a thing as too much chocolate." She reached up and brushed her hand over his hair, messing it up, but stroking his head affectionately. "You do make one very gorgeous fiance, you know that? Springing a Tiffany diamond on a girl out of the blue. That's it, you know. Tiffany overload. Blue Box Syndrome," she teased. "Are you going to lose the boxers so I can rub up against you naked?"

[paramedically]

Andrew grinned at her and entwined his leg with hers. "My Mum taught me well," he told her. He held her hand up to see what the ring looked like on her finger and felt a warmth rush through him. "Do you really like it? I spent ages there looking. They have some really nice ones, but I just wanted it to say what it meant. It just looked bright and confident without needing to make any statements to prove it... just like you."

[agentsullivan]

"I love it," Ali promised him, turning her head so she could see his eyes. "Tiffany Princess Cut, two carat," she laughed and shook her head. "Izzy and I once went there and tried on engagement rings a good few years back. Just for a laugh. We tried on wedding dresses too, once. We've had some really dorky moments in our past, but fuck it. We always knew how to entertain ourselves. But this..." She looked at her ring again. "I told her I would have one of these one day, and she pulled the piss out of me, of course, joking that I would never get married while she was the runaway bride. Then I pulled the piss out of myself. And then there you were with it. I nearly wet my pants, you know. It was just like a sign... or something."

[paramedically]

Andrew had to laugh at the story. "You really are a goofball, aren't you?" he teased and kissed her hair. "Out of all those rings there, this was the one you wanted?" He shook his head. "Maybe it's kismet."

He wrapped some of her soft curls around his fingers. "And I want you to know, too, there is no rush for anything like date setting or even thinking about weddings. I just wanted you to know I want to be with you forever, and whenever you're ready is fine. Even if it takes years. No pressure, I promise."

[agentsullivan]

Ali pressed some soft kissed to his jaw and then settled against him again. "I never believed in shit like kismet before... now, I'm willing to admit I should eat my words. You make me feel like all the crap, all the things I've gone through and that have hurt my heart, they've brought me all here. To you, to Sunshine... I know, sounds cheesy, but for the first time in months, maybe in years, I feel happy. Realhappy. Never thought I would ever feel that..."

She tipped her head up to meet his eyes. "Let's set a date. It doesn't matter if it needs to change down the track if something happens, right? Let's just... make out date."

[paramedically]

Andrew opened his mouth and then closed it again to bite on the corner of his lip. But he soon laughed softly. "Don't you think we should wait until you get over the happy hangover?" he suggested gently. "It's not that I don't want to! I would... I would love to set a date, but you don't have to. I know you're going to be dealing with a lot when we get home. We can wait."

[agentsullivan]

Ali shook her head. "Why should what is going down back home affect that?" she asked. "I think I've disconnected myself from my own wants enough right now. Maybe it's just our turn? James is back on track, he has Harri and his rugrat on the way. Izzy came back, she has her old job back and is dating the footballer. Max thinks he's in love with a fireman and is going to move in with him. Why shouldn't we put us first and set a wedding date? Last night I realised, even though it took a few minutes for the penny to drop, that I really don't want to lose you. I want to share my life with you and as much as it shocked the arse out of me, I really do want to be your wife. I want you to be my husband, and I want you to officially be Sunshine's daddy. I want us to get married and I want you to adopt her. And I can't see a reason to wait for ages to do that."

[paramedically]

"But I... I can't... she..." Andrew gestured with his hand and his words were a little hoarse with emotion at what she just admitted.

[agentsullivan]

"I know, gorgeous," Ali told him quietly and a little sadly. "And that's why I need to take my proverbial balls in my hand and talk to Mark. I think he and I would get along much better without any lingering ties. He doesn't want to be her daddy. He never has. He has no connection to her and I don't need him to pay maintenance for her. I have enough money. You've been there since day one. You tuck her in and kiss her goodnight every night, and even when you're on nights, you do it in advance. You've taken care of her when she's sick. You feed her, you change her, you hug her, you love her just as much as if you created her on your own. Unconditionally. Mark might have fathered her, but you're her Daddy, and I'm going to ask him to sign his parental rights over to me so you can legally adopt her when we get married."

[paramedically]

Andrew had tears in his eyes as he looked at her helplessly. "What if he doesn't? I don't want to start thinking there is a chance of something so wonderful and there be no hope of it. It's okay. We can still be a family. I just... I can't get my hopes up."

[agentsullivan]

Ali pushed up and kissed his forehead, then his cheeks, before she finally reached his lips. "I've been really unfair," she had to admit quietly. "In my own pain and fear and hurt, I've made Mark out to be a horrible person. He's not. He was a big part of my life for a long time, and he hurt me extensively. We hurt each other. It just got to the point that we were so similiar, we clashed, and it was horrible, between us. I still am so angry that he walked away from Sunshine. I didn't care that he walked away from me. There was no way I could ever be in love with him again after what he did, but I had hoped he would still want to know her. None of us ever expected something like James leaving us to happen. I don't think any of us dealt with it well and we're still paying for it. But Jamie shouldn't have been caught in the crossfire, and it was you who ran in and protected her from that. Mark's not a bad person. He's actually a wonderful man, and a wonderful, caring, protective big brother to James. I need him to see her and see that

[paramedically]

Andrew let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. He rested his head against hers, taking a few moments to process her words. "How about New Year's Day?" he finally said with a smile. "Six months away, new year, new start."