Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait on the chapter. I hope its worth it. Its about 10 pages typed- something that is incredibly long for me. Ok well on with the chapter!
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Chapter 7- “Romance”
Days had passed since the take down. It was a complete success. Sanderez was in a cell. Ryan and Abby were together. They spent so much time together; it was if they were joint at the hip, or at the mouth, in their case. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. They weren’t sent on any missions for several days.
One morning, Ryan awoke before Abby. That was very rare. He began to watch her, fascinated. Her head was resting on his shoulder. Her blonde hair was shining from the sun coming through the window. The light made her have a special glow. He watched the rise and fall of her chest.
A few minutes passed before she began to stir. She was waking up. She opened her eyes and adjusted to her surroundings. Then, she turned her head and looked up at Ryan.
“Good Morning,” she said as she yawned.
“Morning,” he replied. He bent down and kissed her nose.
“Hmm,” she sighed, “What time is it?” He turned to look at the clock. The time even shocked him. It read 10:30. Never had he slept that late!
“10:30,” he said, still in slight shock.
“10:30?! I’m glad we don’t have to go to work today,” she said. She rolled off of him and stretched.
“I’m going to go make breakfast,” Ryan said.
“Sounds yummy.”
“Good. I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”
Ten minutes later, Ryan came back with two trays in his hand. They were both full of food. It had a glass of orange juice, a glass of milk, three slices of toast, 2 eggs, small bowls of butter and another of jelly, and four strips of bacon, and that was just for her! He carried another try for himself.
“Breakfast in bed,” he said.
“Yum.” He set her tray over her stomach and then set his next to her so that he could get back in bed. Then he picked up the tray and laid it over his stomach and began to eat. They ate in silence for a few minutes, occasionally exchanging glances and smiles. Abby broke it, suddenly.
“Favorite movie?” she said quickly. It was so fast, in fact, that Ryan couldn’t comprehend what she said.
“What?”
“Favorite movie?” she asked again, slower.
“Um, Old School.”
“I haven’t seen that. I’ll have to rent it sometime.”
“How about tonight?”
“You sure? I don’t want to ruin your plans.”
“What plans? We have the day off, the first time in years. We are going to go to Blockbuster and rent the movie.”
“Fine. Since you picked tonight’s plans, I’m going to pick what we so today.”
“I guess I can like that that,” he agreed, ”Any ideas what that might be?”
“Not yet,” she pause to take the last bite of food, “but it’s only breakfast,“ she finished with a smile.
About an hour and a half later, they were ready for whatever it was that Abby had planned.
She had planned a great day, calling in a few favors, here and there. From the house, they went shopping. She needed a dress for what she had planned to do that evening.
At the mall, she went to her favorite dress store, La Beauem. They sold beautiful gowns; many of her mission gowns were from there. She picked out a red one (like the one that Sydney wears in 3.03) It was long, and had spaghetti straps, with a type of ruffled polyester material along the low cut neckline. It was very beautiful. She didn’t let Ryan see it; she had told him to go to another store nearby, which it greatly appreciated- shopping was not his thing. She was going to pick up the dress after they finished whatever else it was they were going to do in the mall, as they left. After finding her dress, she went to look for Ryan, who was ‘just browsing’ in the store next to it.
“Hey. It’s about one o’clock, you want to get some lunch?”
“Yea, that sounds good.”
“What do you want to eat?”
“I’m not sure yet.
They reached the food court, only to find that it was full. There were literally no clean tables. People were sitting in almost every chair. As they walked around looking for a place to buy food and a place to sit, they noticed one table. It was distanced from every other table, but it was also clean.
They had decided that they would get different things and then share. Abby bought Chinese food and Ryan bought chicken, Cane’s to be exact.
To any onlookers, they were a couple that had been together a long time. The observer wouldn’t be completely wrong; they did love each other, but they had only been together a few weeks.
Anyone who didn’t like the romantic bit would have had to look the somewhere else. They would feed each other and if Ryan were to get sauce on Abby’s face, he’d just kiss it off.
They had a teenage-type relationship. It was shy and yet it was strong. They had too. It was the only way to keep their minds off of the reality looming over their heads: the CIA, their lives as spies, and their families.
After lunch, they went to Ryan’s apartment to drop off Abby’s clothes for that night. It was about two o’clock.
They decided to go for a walk along the beach. It was one of the last days of summer.
They walked along the beach, holding hands, wading in the water that washed upon the shore.
“What are you thinking about?” Ryan had asked.
“Just how perfect this day is. No CIA, no missions. It was just you and I today. Perfect.”
“You know, I don’t think I could have said it better.”
“What’s your favorite color?”
“Wow. That was random, but, orange.”
“Orange, huh? I’ve always thought of you as a blue type of person.”
“Hah. Okay, favorite movie, since I didn’t ask you earlier.”
“Hmm. I’m not sure. I have at least two. How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days, and Two Weeks Notice.”
“Romantic Comedies huh? Good choice.”
“My turn. How many kids would you want to have?”
“Six.”
“That was fast. I’m guessing you’ve thought about this.”
“Yea, since I was about sixteen.”
“Really? I didn’t think normal guys thought about that stuff.”
“They probably don’t, but I wouldn’t know. I’m not normal, remember?”
“Aw! You are too normal, except for the whole spy stuff.”
“Riight. Okay, same question.”
“Two, I think. A boy and a girl.”
“Just two?”
“Yea. I come from a small family, and I was an only child, for the most part. I have an older half brother and his family, and a half sister, and her family. I mean I don’t want my kid to feel alone. I had no one to talk to growing up, I mean sibling-wise. I want that different for my kids. Plus, I would love to be pregnant, but the whole child birth thing I can only take so many times.”
“Oh. I can understand that. The whole pain thing.”
“I would love to have a big family. I just don’t want to have to deal with that.”
“Yea. Okay, My turn. If you could date any celebrity, who would it be?”
“If?! What do you mean if?” Abby gave him an evil look. “No I’m just kidding. If I could date any celebrity, who would it be? Um I would date…. Who would I date? Includes actresses only, or athletes and singers too?”
“Everyone.”
“Okay. I think I would date…. Faith Hill.”
“Country girl, huh?”
“Yup.”
“Isn’t she like sixty?”
“Yea, but I meant if she were our age.”
“Oh, Okay. I was like uhh… “
“Okay. Getting back to the game. Uhh.. same question.”
“Matt Damon.”
“Thirty years ago, right?”
“Of course, I don’t want to date some old guy,” she giggled.
“Question then-“
“Hold up there a second. I believe it is my turn to ask a question.”
“My apologies. Do go ahead.”
“If you could have and all expense paid vacation, for two, who would you bring, and where would you go?”
“I think I would go to Europe.”
“Europe? You’ve been there a thousand times.”
“I may have, but only for a couple of hours. I’ve never gotten to actually see the beauty of it all. I’ve been to France, Fleury, where my father’s family is. I’ve never been to Prague or Rome for vacation. It would take months for me to see everything I want to see.
“That would be a great thing to do.”
“Yeah, but like we will ever get that much time to do that”
After about an hour, they headed to the horse stables. Abby used to ride there, so she knew the owner. They borrowed the horses, a bay mare, and a palomino stallion for three hours.
At six o’clock, they turned the horses in, and fed them among other things. Then they went to Ryan’s apartment to get ready. Since Abby planned the evening too, Ryan didn’t know where he was going. Abby planned a great night. They were going to go dancing and for a candlelight dinner in the park. They were going to go dancing at the new salsa club, Casa de Beliar, first.
“Beinuendos a Casa de Beliar.”
“Gracias.”
“Tu hablas Espanol mucho?”
“Dema un poco.”
“You speak it very well.”
“Thank you.” Ryan was getting bored waiting for Abby to finish talking to the guy.
“Abby? Care to dance?”
“Sure.”
“So, a salsa club, huh? I didn’t think you danced.”
“Hun, I’ve got moves you’ve never seen.” Abby and Ryan danced nonstop for about an hour. They were getting hungry, but this club didn’t serve food. They were also getting tired.
“Hey, Abby, in all your planning did you plan for dinner?”
“Of course, are you hungry?”
“Yea, a little.”
“Okay, we can go. Two rules first. One, I’m driving.”
“What?!”
“Two, you have to be blindfolded.”
“Are you kidding me? Alright, Rollins, this better be good.”
“Oh, it is.” She carefully blindfolded him and made sure he couldn’t see. She took precautions to avoid him finding out where they were going.
“Abby, why are you circling the block several times?”
“What makes you think that?”
“Abby. We’ve taken five, no six right turns. I’m thinking that we are circling the block so that I can’t figure out where we are going.”
“And is it working?”
“Not yet. We’re still on the same block.” A few minutes passed, with Abby still making her right turns.
“We’re here!”
“We’re what? How can we be here? We’ve made 8 right turns. The only place I think we are is in front of the club again. “
“Nope. Wrong. Boy, for a spy, you don’t know how to use all your senses.” With that, she got out and went around to his side. He was trying, and failing, to out as well.
“Need some help?”
“Yes, since you put this blindfold on me. Where are we?”
“Hold on, and I will tell you. First, give me your hand.” She took his hand and helped him out of the car, and escorted him to where she had dinner set up.
“Okay. Take off your blindfold.” Ryan did as he was told and looked around. They were in the park, and Abby had a picnic set up for them.
“Wow” It was all he could say.
“I don’t think I could have planned a better day on such short notice,” Ryan said later.
“Somehow, I don’t believe you. You’ve surprised me with romantic, fun stuff in one day.”
“Yes, that may be true, but this was defiantly better.”
“I don’t think so,” she said, as she began to snuggle up to him. It was another perfect moment to add the their small scrap book of memories.
“You know what I just remembered? We didn’t rent Old School today like we wanted.”
“Once again, you’re spy skills need work. I called a friend from work and asked her to pick it up. The same one who set up this fabulous dinner.”
“I may have to meet this friend. She seems really nice.”
“She is. I’d be lost without her.”
“And you know I’d be lost without you.” Abby looked up at him. She kissed him softly, but it wasn’t enough. They both wanted more. As the kisses deepened, they began to lie back into the grass, lost in that moment.
Unknown to Abby or Ryan, they had an observer three feet away.
“Base, I can see the targets.”
“Copy that.”
“How should I proceed?”
“Wait until your partner reaches you. They will have the plan.”
“Going radio silent until then.”
Minutes later, the two shadowed figures appeared from the shadows.
“Ahem,” Sydney cleared her throat. Ryan and Abby were so shocked, they practically jumped off of each other.
“Oh, hi, Mom. This is Abby. Hi, Dad.”
“Boy, this is awkward,” Abby mumbled. They stood up and properly greeted Sydney and Michael.
“So, Abby, I’m guessing your planning went well?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Thanks for your help.”
“Wait a minute,” Ryan said, “You knew about this? Both of you?!”
“Of course, dear. I’m your mother. I know all. It’s great to finally meet you, Abby.” She shook Abby’s hand.
“Nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Vaughn.”
“Sydney, please. Mrs. Vaughn makes me feel old, although I don’t think I will ever get tired of hearing it.”
“Would you like to join us for dinner?”
“Sure, unless we were interrupting something,” Michael finally said.
“No, sir.”
“Okay, then.” They all sat down and began to eat the spaghetti.
“I knew I recognized this food. This is your cooking,” Ryan said, pointing at his mom.
“You were right, Abby, he needs to work on his spy skills. Of course I cooked it, Ryan.”
About an hour later, they were finished, and getting rather tired.
“I think we’re going to head home, Mom. Sorry to be rude.”
“No, dear. I can see you are both tired. You guys go ahead. We’ll clean this up.” Ryan and Abby started to stand up.
“Are you sure, Mom?”
“Yes. Now go home.”
“It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Va- Sydney, and Michael.”
“You too,” they said in unison.
“Thanks for your help.”
“Oh, you’re welcome!”
When they got home, they decided to watch just a little of Old School. After all, it was only 10:30.
After about a half an hour into the movie, Abby fell asleep on Ryan’s shoulder. That seemed to be her favorite spot to lean against. Ryan noticed this but was still entertained in the movie.
As the ending credits started to roll, Ryan woke up. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep. He looked down at Abby, who was slowly awakening, too. When she came to her senses, she realized what had happened.
“Oh! I must have fallen asleep!”
“Don’t worry. We can watch it tomorrow. I fell asleep, too.
“Oh, so I didn’t miss anything?”
“No. You missed it. But we are both obviously tired.” Ryan got up and picked up Abby. He set her up on her feet, where she fell towards him.
“Guess I’m still tired.”
“Here,” Ryan said. He grabbed her hand and led her down the hall, and over to his bed. He tucked her in, and went around to the other side, and instantly fell asleep.
It was months later when Ryan came home saying they needed to go to Wal-Mart. When they got there, Ryan stopped and knelt to one knee.
“Abby, this may not be the most romantic place in the world, but the first time I saw you, after getting the Wal-Mart call, I knew that if we were together when that was over, I was going to do this here. Abby, I love you. I have since the day we met. I couldn’t think of how I could ever live my life without you. So Abby, will you marry me?”
“Yes! Yes!” she cried. She helped to his feet and then jumped into his arms. He held on to her, and swung her around. When he stopped, he kissed her before setting her down. He placed the beautiful ring on her finger. It was a perfect fit.
The shoppers had stopped to see what was going on when they heard her shouting. They realized what had happened and began to clap. Ryan and Abby turned 5 shades of red when they realized they were the objects of attention. Embarrassed, they quickly left the store.
Fin