Jon had kept their destination a secret, not telling Vicki where they were going, only to pack for a few days away and not to worry too much about the weather.

No amount of begging or pleading would make him reveal their destination. He would only smirk and tell her she'd see when they got there. He had no idea if she'd ever been there before. As for himself, it was one place he'd always wanted to go, with the right person, but had never been. He had a little help making the arrangements, but hadn't bothered Tera with it. He was finished with Faustus and it showed in his mood and demeanor. The play, along with his personal life, had been draining, and a few days away was just what the doctor ordered. He'd worked it out with Liv and promised to have Vicki back in a few days.

Hoping to keep their destination a secret until they arrived, he even insisted on her closing her eyes as they stepped hand in hand through the portal, only to arrive in a small alleyway off the main square near the Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco. "Keep your eyes closed," he reminded her as he led her through the alleyway to the main square.

When she got her teeth into a mystery, Vicki rarely let it go. She'd been whining to Jon and Liv for days, trying to find out what the big secret was, why they were both in on it, why Liv had suggested that she not pack jeans exclusively. She'd taken that advice to heart, at least. Hand in hand with Jon, her eyes obediently closed, she'd bowed to the pressure to impress and worn a skirt.

"If you're about to push me into a pond, Jonathan Granger, I swear I'm taking you with me," she said cheerfully, her ears catching the distant lap of water against stone. The babble of voices, growing louder as they walked along, was in a language she vaguely recognised as being from Earth, but the smells, even the feel of the air, none of it was familiar. "Where are we?"

He laughed. "What am I, ten?" He had never pushed anyone into a pond, even as a boy, and certainly wasn't about to do so now. He had much bigger plans that that. He glanced at her to make sure she still had her eyes closed, leading her slowly and carefully out of the alley to come out in the square where a crowd of mostly tourists was moving about. "You'll see soon enough." He'd have held his hands over her eyes, but he needed at least one hand free to carry her bag. He'd already made arrangements to have his own luggage dropped off at their hotel earlier.

"Jon, the suspense is killing me here," she whined laughingly, catching the toe of her boot against a raised flagstone and stumbling wildly for a moment or two. "Literally! I'm going to smash my face on the floor!" Laughing, she shook her head, covering her eyes with her free hand as her hair was blown away from her neck. "Please can I open them soon?"

He laughed along with her and caught her by the arm before she lost her balance too badly. He wanted to make sure she was positioned just right before she opened her eyes, and so he led her to the middle of the Piazza and turned her to face the west facade of the basilica. It wasn't so much the old church he'd brought her to see, but the beauty and romance of Venice in its entirety and what better place to start than the Piazza" Once there, he set her bag down and moved around behind her, laying his hands against her eyes to cover them. "Ready?"

Her own hand lowered as his took up position over her eyes, unable to prevent herself from leaning close against his chest as she grinned, half-hysterical with the unknown excitement. "What for?" she asked, fishing for more clues still as she chuckled. Unbeknownst to her, curious eyes were looking their way, no doubt wondering just how long a walk the redhead had been taken on with her eyes closed.

"Benvenuto a Venezia, Signorina Marshall," Jon said as he pulled his hands away from her eyes and let her see Venice in all its glory. He leaned close to wrap his arms around her waist, whispering softly in her ear. "Ti adoro."

Her grin faded as his hand came away, the sudden realisation that they were in Italy thanks to his well-timed words utterly overshadowed by the awe that settled in at the sight of the beautiful Saint Mark's Cathedral, towering above her. Vicki's jaw dropped, her blue eyes wide with disbelief and stunned pleasure.

"Oh ....oh my god," she whispered, almost speechless at the surprise she hadn't even been close to figuring out. "Venice ....You brought me to Venice, I love you!" Her voice rose from that whisper to an over-excited squeal as she spoke, twisting in his arms to fling her own around his neck and hug him tightly, lifting her own feet off the ground in her jubilation. "How did you know?" she demanded, finally laughing at her own reaction. "How did you know I wanted to come here, I've never said anything about it!"

His arms remained around her waist as she turned to face him, lifting her easily off her feet when she squealed in delight, laughing along with her and probably drawing more than a few glances from those around them, more than a few smiles and some mutterings about crazy Americans in Italian. But lovers were an everyday sight here and they were soon just another couple in a crowd of tourists. He shrugged his shoulders. "Lucky guess. It's the most romantic city in the world. Who wouldn't want to come here?"

"Oh, but the architecture, Jon," Vicki gushed, her eyes wild with the delight of her unexpected surprise even as she returned her gaze back to the cathedral that dominated the square. "The decoration ....there are frescoes from the Byzantine era in there, and the Doge's Palace is supposed to be something amazing to see, and ....the Bridge of Sighs. We have to see the Bridge of Sighs!" She was actually bouncing on her toes, truly excited by the prospect of even a few hours in this beautiful city.

He smiled down at her, face beaming, blue eyes sparkling brightly with happiness, affection and adoration obvious in his expression, laughing at the contagiousness of her obvious delight. "We can do whatever you like. This is for you." She had made him happy, she had done so much for him. It seemed only fair that he do something special for her.

Her head tipped back, her own blue eyes turning back to Jon's face with her own brand of adoring affection as she squeezed his hand. "Well, what time is it' The cathedral closes at some time, I don't know what, and ..." She stopped herself, aware that she was babbling like an overexcited child, covering her mouth with her hand as though to remind herself that she was still in public and to calm down. "Don't we need to check in somewhere?"

He smiled. "Eventually. What would you like to do first?" He reached down to sling her bag over one shoulder. Anything they needed that they hadn't brought they'd simply get while there. "Lunch in a cafe before we check in at our hotel" Or are you too excited to eat?"

Excited or not, Vicki couldn't let that one slide by without her bawdy humor taking hold of it. She looked him up and down, her grin turning more than a little suggestive. "Oh, I'm never too excited to eat, you know that, Jon boy," she purred, leaning close into him. Her lips found his, brushing with tender fondness. "Thank you so much for this. It's incredible."

He only smiled and let her hand remain right where it was. He had grown fond of the way she let him know what she wanted when she wanted it. At least, it didn't leave him guessing or wondering. He always knew exactly where he stood. Theirs was a relationship built on honesty and trust. It was something both of them needed. His fingers lightly stroked her shoulder, as he turned to her and nestled his nose against her hair. "And if there was?"

"You wouldn't have been groped," she chuckled darkly, the tone of that laugh all he needed to know exactly what she would have done to him instead. "I don't think Franco would have thought I was all that adorable if I'd been able to jump your bones in public."

"You actually read that stuff?" he asked, a little surprised, but not overly concerned. "I stopped reading it a long time ago." But that was because he'd learned that most of what was written about him was crap, both on Earth and Rhy'Din. Gossip was gossip wherever you went.

"Oh, come on, I'm still getting used to being a famous film star's girlfriend," she grinned up at him to soften the accusation. "I get a little thrill when I see my name in the papers, no matter what they say about me. Mind you," she added, a comical look of dismay crossing her face, "they're only interested in me because I get to bounce on your dick whenever I want."

Okay, he couldn't keep a straight face when she said that, no matter how hard he tried. He just burst into laughter. "Well, that's one way of putting it, though I thought it was my tripod. Haven't you ever noticed that all Franco is really interested in is who's banging who?"

"You really want me to bounce on a tripod?" Vicki eyed Jon with a fond smirk. "I realise I am a goddess in bed, Jon, but even I am limited to just the one frou-frou." She snickered at his comment on the pink-haired gossip columnist. "Of course he is. He could get in real trouble if he started printing speculation about everything else that goes on in Rhy'Din."

The gondola had finally made the turn to take them out of the canals, opening up into the lagoon with an amazing view of the Basilica and and the Hotel Cipriani just across the way. "That's not what I mean. I mean ....people's private lives should be, well, private. I know it's the price you pay for fame, but some things ..." He shrugged, not wanting to start overthinking it. The press had been a sore spot with him for a while, though he hadn't complained much about it.

"Hey." Her hand rose from his thigh to cup his cheek, turning his face to hers for one of those slow, languid kisses she so excelled at. "It's not worth worrying over. Franco's harmless, Jon. And we're in the middle of a busy lagoon in a tiny boat."

He frowned a little into her kiss, but he wasn't going to let worries about the press spoil their time together. It wasn't Franco that worried him, but it could wait for another time. "I know. I'm sorry." He wanted this trip and the short time they had together here to be perfect, unspoiled by worries about work or home or family or the press.

"No, you're not. You're gorgeous and talented, and my god, man - you speak Italian like a native." Blue eyes sparkled with warm admiration as she looked up at him. "Sexiest thing I ever heard."

He smiled. If the compliments hadn't come from Vicki, he might actually be embarrassed. "Don't be so impressed. I learned most of it from drag queens and foreign porn movies." He was trying to play it down a little, though that wasn't quite true. Where he'd learned most of it was in the theater.

"Did you star in any of these foreign porn movies, and if so, where are the tapes?" was her immediate response, accompanied by a gentle nip to his jaw as the gondolier drew them alongside the pier outside the Palazzo Vendramin.

He couldn't really remember where he'd picked it up. Certainly not in school. All he knew was what his journals and other people had told him. He laughed again. "Only one, but ..." He frowned, his memory failing him again. "I was young and I ....don't really remember it." He could easily lose himself in thought at that, but he blinked, realizing they'd arrived at their hotel. How young could he have been, if he was at present only 26"

She took the hint, relieved when part of the welcome service here at the hotel was a pair of men prepared to lean down from the pier and help them onto dry land. Stretching a little as she waited for Jon, Vicki found herself looking across the lagoon toward the famous Piazza and the outline of the Doge's Palace, sighing in cheerful delight at the breath-taking view. "Oh, yes," she said, heedless of anyone else listening. "You are definitely getting a blowjob tonight."

Jon let the pair of men help Vicki from the boat before he himself stood, pulling out a few bills and handing them to the gondolier with a smile and a word of appreciation in Italian. He overheard her remark just as he was stepping out of the boat and lost his balance, almost going into the water, if not for the pair of men catching him and helping him out. He wasn't one to embarrass easily, but she now could brag that she'd made Jonathan Granger blush. He laughed. "Well, there's something to look forward to."

Very aware of what she'd done to him and very pleased with herself because of it, Vicki turned her wicked smile onto Jon as he laughed. "Well, it's best to warn you from time to time," she agreed impishly. "Last time you nearly fainted."

Jon exchanged words with the butler again in Italian, thanking him and assuring him that the suite was more than acceptable. Vicki's luggage would arrive shortly and be taken care of, as well. He thanked the man and sent him on his way before joining Vicki at the window, coming up behind her and weaving his arms around her waist to cross at her middle, his chin resting on her shoulder."Beautiful, isn't it?"

Was he talking about the view or her" More than likely, both.

She leaned easily back into his embrace, resting her head against his as her arms folded warm over his. It was a little overwhelming - just being here, in Venice, was amazing, but the fact that Jon had arranged it all for her ....She could feel her throat tightening, deeply touched tears threatening to fall. "It's stunning," she whispered shakily, at a loss for how to thank him for such an incredible gift.

"It doesn't scare you, does it?" he asked, quietly, worrying that he might have gone too far and overwhelmed her. It wasn't about the money. He wasn't trying to impress her with how lavishly life could be. In truth, he was perfectly fine living a simple life. He knew money couldn't buy happiness, but what was the point in having it if you couldn't enjoy it now and then" And he'd given more than his fair share to charity. This he had done for her, not only to show her that he loved her, but to give her something special, something that no one else could give her. "Happy Valentine's Day, Victoria. I love you." He didn't require or ask for thanks. He only wanted her to love him. He brushed his lips against her cheek in a tender show of affection.

Those three little words that seemed so inadequate. Perhaps the romance of Venice would truly convey the depth of his feeling and love for her where words failed.

"No," she murmured, sniffling back the threat of tears with a soft smile. "No, it doesn't scare me." She twisted in his arms, showing him the tenderness in her wet eyes as her hands rose to cradle his jaw lovingly. "I love you so much," she whispered fervently, pressing her lips to his once, twice, stroking her fingertips over his cheeks in a slow caress. "No one's ever done anything like this for me before. And you still don't believe me when I tell you how special you are, do you?"

She was crying" She never cried. Well, hardly ever. He was usually the one who was more likely to be overcome with emotion, it seemed. He frowned down at her a moment when he saw the tears. "You're crying," he pointed out, a little bit in wonder of why, but then she was kissing him and telling him how much she loved him, and everything, every single thing that had led to this moment, was worth it.

"I believe you, but only because I know how special you are to me, Vicki. I love you with all my heart and soul. With every breath I take. I'm not a poet and I don't want to quote Shakespeare to tell you how I feel. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. That's all I know." His own eyes were tearing up, the emotion he was feeling too much to hold inside. "Is there such a thing as being too happy, you think" Because I'm so happy right now I feel like I could burst."

"I'm happy," she insisted, hoping her stupidly tearful smile was enough to keep him from kicking himself for making her cry. "They're good tears, I promise you." His declaration was so heartfelt, so warm, so honest, though, that her faint control over those tears crumbled again, salt water dripping happily down her cheeks. "Well, if you burst, you can be pretty certain I'm going to drown shortly afterward," she laughed through her tears, shaking her head at her silly reaction. One hand left him to scrub the water form her face self-consciously. "God, I'm such an idiot. This is such a lovely surprise, and here I am, blubbing all over you."

He wasn't done, reaching for her hands, taking them between his. He hadn't planned on doing this right now, right at this moment, but the moment seemed magical, the moment seemed right. She had asked him to wait a month, but he couldn't. If she wanted a long engagement, he'd give it to her, but he needed to know that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, as much as he wanted it from her.

And so, with her hands held between his and with no one there to witness, he went down on one knee and looked up to her with the most heartfelt expression on his face. "Will you marry me, Victoria Marshall?" He held his breath while he awaited her answer, time seeming to stop at that moment, his heart barely beating.

No, he hadn't met her father yet. No, he didn't have a ring. No, they hadn't set a date. Hang all that. It would come later. What he wanted now was just an answer. That was all. A promise that she'd love him forever.

"Oh my God ..." Blue eyes, wide and wet with those happy tears, stared down at him as he went to one knee, her fingers entwined with his to grip tightly enough that both their knuckles turned white. A faint laugh escaped her lips, slightly disbelieving that this was happening at all. "Didn't I tell you not to propose for Valentines?" she chuckled helplessly, shaking her head as her smile deepened. "Oh, you lovely, silly man, what else am I going to say but yes?" She dropped to her knees with him, looping her arms about his neck as her lips found his to seal the deal. "Of course I'll marry you."

He felt such a rush of happiness flood him that he almost broke into a mix of laughter and tears, even as she kissed him. Yes, she'd told him not to propose for Valentine's Day, but he just couldn't help it. He couldn't wait any longer and what better day to propose than the very day she'd told him not to. He took her in his arms and kissed her back, quite thoroughly, putting all of his love into that kiss, his heart ablaze with love and happiness.

Vicki nuzzled into him, not quite sure where her determination to take things slowly had gone. All she knew was that she'd been offered the chance to bind her life to Jon's for the next eternity and there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell she was going to let it pass her by. Now all she needed to do was kiss him under the Bridge of Sighs at midnight, and he'd never be able to get rid of her. ================ http://miriadna.com/desctopwalls/images/max/Venice%20(Italy).jpg ================ ((Many, many thanks to Jonathan Granger's player!))