The morning sun filtered through the bedroom window's curtains, illuminating the room in a soft glow. No sooner did the sun peak up above the horizon did Rosie's eyes flutter open. Slipping from the bed as quietly as she could, Rosie made her way to the master bathroom and closed the door behind her. She leans against the door for a few seconds, then opens it quickly and peeks back into the bedroom, just to assure herself that he was truly still there and that the night before had really happened. Then the door closes again and the sound of water running as she prepares her shower.

About forty minutes later, she emerges from the bathroom. Unlike most mornings, she wasn't in her work uniform. She had decided that today would be the perfect day to laze around and enjoy the company of somebody special. Her hair still wrapped high on her head in a towel. and she's dressed in a flannel night gown and terry cloth bathrobe.

She slipped out of the bedroom, quiet as a mouse. He was still asleep and she didn't want to wake him. Rosie walks to the spare bedroom and walks in, her emerald gaze upon the costume that she had made for the upcoming masquerade party. The soft white silk shone in the morning sun and the single rope belt sparkled. There was a black velvet cloak with a creamy white heavy silk lining sitting not far from it.

Lifting the dress from it's hanger, she holds it up to her shoulders and looks in the mirror and begins to sing softly to herself.

"Looking out, on the morning rain..."

Swaying softly, her head cants slightly and her eyes close.

"I used to feel... so... uninspired..."

A slow spin, her head tilted back, she really gets into the song now.

"And when I knew I had to face another day.."

She lowers her chin suddenly, eyes flying open, smiling at herself in the mirror.

"ah ooo"

Her body moving slowly, shoulders softly rolling, hips swaying.

"Lord, it made me feel so tired.."

Leans forward, flipping the towel down and unwrapping her hair. Throwing her head back, hair spilling down her shoulders. She turns her back on the mirror, then looks over her shoulder at it.

"Before the day I met you, life was so unkind
But your love was the key to peace my mind "

She had loved this song for a long time and thought it was foolish. But now, it had new meaning for her. She threw her head back and sang outloud the next few lines.

"Cause you make me feel, you make me feel, you make me feel like a na-tur-al woman.."

"When my soul was in the lost and... "

She had not expected to see anybody at the door, so when she spun around to sing that line, she drops the gown to the floor and nearly jumps out of her skin. Gasping loudly and she screams.

"DEAN!"

Emerald eyes wide with fear, soften to dancing with mirth as she laughs and rushes to him, poking his stomach. Her face flushed to the roots of her hair, she can't help but giggle more, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"So, how much of that did you witness?"

She gave a little wiggle to her derrier as his hands landed there. Looking up, her emerald gaze studied his face and knew the lie when he told it. And call him out on it she did, but with a laugh. Her eyes dancing with mirth.

"You're as bad as I am at lying."

A giggle would bubble up from her throat and she hugged him even tighter.

"So, what to do today? We've got it all to ourselves... "

Slipping out of his grasp, she unties the belt to her rope and lets the terry cloth pool to the ground at her feet. Mind you, she's still in what she used to call a Grammy gown, flannel from collar to the floor.

She laughed, admiring his assets as he ran from the room. She follows not too far behind him. Foldnig her arms over her stomach and hugging her elbows to her sides she watches with amusement as he searches for his pants.

Tsking softly as the linen flies everywhere. The soft coverlet, lavender sheets, pillows torn from pillow cases as he looks. And all she can do is laugh softly. It's her turn to lean against a door frame now. Her feet crossed at the ankles, weight supported by a small shoulder.

"Hey big guy, whatcha lookin' for?"

She knew exactly what he was searching so desperately for. Pushing off of the doorway, she straightens her arms and grabs her nightgown, lifting it about six inches.

"Wouldn't be these? Would it?"

A soft snicker as the lifted gown reveals his trousers, much too big for her, wrinkled around her ankles, supported by the tops of her feet.

Releasing her grip on the nightgown, she smiles crookedly and watches as he finally emerges from under the bed. Tapping a finger against her lips she looks to the ceiling with narrowed eyes, as if she's pondering how to bring world peace or end the starving in Ethiopia.

"Hmm... since you did ask sooo nicely..."

She caught the gleam in his eyes and knew the game was on. Her emerald eyes danced as she chose her next words very carefully.

"If you can catch me, you can have them back."

Not wasting any more time to see his reaction, she lept from the doorway and scuttled down the hallway as quick as she could. Thank goodness for the belt that held the pants up around her waist, or she'd have fallen flat on her face. She turns left, into the living room and then a right into the kitchen. Calling over her shoulder as she runs.

"Fast as fast can be, you'll never catch me!"

She runs to the ends of the cabinets and quietly squats down between the cabinet and the stand mixer, hiding.

She had to bite her lip to keep from giggling. If she closed her eyes she could just see him prowling around the living room. As it were she held her breath and stayed crouched where she was.

And then he called her name. Dirty trick, that one! Her resolve set, she was going to remain hiding for a while. Then an idea struck her.

Quickly undoing the belt and sliding the pants off of her legs was a simple enough feat. She stuffed the pants into the stand mixer, then rose from her cramped position just in time to see him tip toe around the corner.

"Gotcha!" she cries out as she runs towards him and throws herself into his arms, kissnig him soundly. Perhaps he wouldn't notice his pants in the stand mixer with the distraction of a kiss!

She wiggles in his arms and shrieks with laughter. 'Stop stop stop!" Trying to pull away from the onslaught of tickles. But she wasn't trying that hard, in fact she let loose her own assult, her fingers runnig down hsi sides, tickling back.

"Dean! Stop stop stop!" She finally did pull away, her breathing ragged. Doubled over with one arm against the wall for support, she catches her breath, and laughs. "In.. the... stand... mixer..." She gave in, couldn't help it. The tickle monster had won the day.

What she had failed to realize is that the stand mixer still had buttercream frosting in it from Sadie's prep work earlier in the day.

Her eyes widened in mock fear and she squeals, laughing. "Oh no, you wouldn't!" And then, meekly,"Would you?"

She wouldn't wait for an answer. Running across the living room and into the guest bathroom, slamming the door behind her, Rosie giggles madly. "He can't get me in... " She looks down at the door handle and realizes there's no lock. She can hear him coming so she does the only thing she can do.

Off comes the nightgown, on goes the shower and behind the frosted glass shower door she goes.

One of the things Rosie loved about this house of hers were the showerheads. They were attached to the wall by a long hose and the heads were adjustable for different water pressures.

She lifts the showerhead from it's cradle on the wall and holds it at the ready. Stifling a giggle she waits.

"Can't a girl take a shower in peace?"

She squeals and points the showerhead directly at the door of the shower, so when it pops open, the water sprays directly at him. She's standing in the shower in just her undergarments, dry as a bone.

"GOTCHA!"

She moves to her left to try to get around him and that's when her foot goes out from under her and she lands on her rump in the tub. She gives him the big puppy dog eyes as the showerhead had flown out of her hand and was spraying water everywhere.

She puts her hands out in front of her and turns her head to the side, scrunching up her face as if that's going to stop the onslaught of water. She thought wrong and she swore she could hear a manic laugh as she ges to her knees, reaching out for the showerhead.

Her fiery red locks now a dark mahogany and plastered to her head.

"I give, I give!"

She conceded defeat, succumbed to his will. Or had she?

He was such a sloppy mess, but so cute! She smiled as he walked away, his smiley jack o'lanterns were plastered to his cute little behind and they were smeared with frosting.

Turning off the water, she would normally have cringed as he walked out of the bathroom, over her night gown, and into the hall way, dripping water and the now slimy frosting everywhere. But she couldn't help but laugh at him as she sat in the shower and waited for him.

When he returns, he'll find her sitting in the lotus position in the middle of the shower.

"ooooohm..."

Quick as lightning, her hands reach up and catch the box. "Your poor bottom is going to be black and blue!"

She opens the lid and takes one of the chocolates without even looking at it. Grinning up at him. "Babe, you take a shower and I'll clean up. What do you want for breakfast?"

Climbing out of the shower, she slips, the box of chocolates sliding across the floor, little chocolates skidding everywhere.

She had only plucked the one piece from the box and was about to eat it when he ordered her not to eat it. What, an order? She lowered her chin and turned her head. Lips parted in a wicked smile.

And then those words came out of his mouth. The question every little girl dreams of hearing. Her smile fades, eyes growing wide. Very wide indeed. The chocolate dropped to the floor.

She looks up, just once, then faints.

She lay still for a few moments, her breathing normal, her pulse slightly fast, nothing to be alarmed at. She's just prone to fainting when exposed to high levels of emotion.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly and she looks up into those hazel eyes and a slow smile curls her lip. "Are you sure, Dean?

She needed to hear him say that he felt the same way she did. She could not live without him. He'd been her rock, her stone cold foundation as of late and could not imagine him ever being away from her side.

Her emerald eyes never once waivered from thier study of his every facial movement. The clenching of his jaw, the slight flush in his cheeks, the way his eyes narrowed slightly, all noted.

"Are you sure I'm the one for you?"

She curls up in his lap, and nuzzles his chin with her nose. If she were a cat, she'd be purring. Yes, they were both a sticky mess. The carpets would need cleaning and she and Sadie had thier work cut out for them in the kitchen and bathrooms. But at this particular moment, she forgets all of that.

The world is just him. Her heartbeat loud in her ears as she lowers her chin to her chest and tucks her head neatly beneath his chin. She hides the tears that she cannot keep at bay any longer. Her right hand curled into a fist under her chin, her left clung to the back of his boxers.

"I will. In a whisper so soft, she was almost unsure she'd actually said it out loud, so she repeats it, a bit louder, her voice raspy with emotion. "I will marry you, Dean Ryan Santiago."

As she was lifted into the air and spun around, she laughs and her eyes dance. She's never experienced such happiness and he was the root of it all. How lucky she was and she would pinch herself a few times before the night was over, just to assure herself that it wasn't a dream.

And then that kiss, oh she was breathless. If he wasn't careful, she'd pass out again. She fought the oncoming darkness tooth and nail. No way did she want to miss out on a single moment.

Her breathing was a bit ragged when they finally did step apart and she looked up into those marvelous hazel eyes. Sure, he was covered in spoiled buttercream frosting and those boxers were completely ruined, but that didn't matter. He was now hers, forever and ever, amen.

She watched the emotions race across his face and couldn't help but laugh. "Of course I said yes, I know a good thing when I see it."

Her heart sang as he got down to his knees and started cleaning the bathroom floor, and she goes to her knees to help him. Grabbing a wash cloth, she had wet it in the sink and was using it to wipe up the buttercream frosting from the floor, swatting the little pieces of chocolate over to him as she went along.

"Between the two of us, we'll have it cleaned in no time. Maybe I can let Sadie go, now that you're going to be around." She said with a laugh as another piece of chocolate rolled in his direction.

She watches what he's doing and is confused. Finally she twists so that she's sitting on the floor, one leg curled in on itself, foot underneath the other, her other foot planted about two feet from her bum, knee bent to the ceiling. Resting her arm on her knee, she gives him a curious look.

"Ok, so you're not cleaning. Then what are you doing?"

She bats another piece of chocolate towards him, then looks at her hand, that one stung a little bit.

She blinks at him in surprise. Of course he'd do things the right way! So when he said the ring was somewhere on the bathroom floor, she was back on her hands and knees, inspecting each piece of chocolate.

She didn't think that box of chocolates was that big, it must have had a douple layer. One after another the pieces ended up in the trash can.

"Dean, I don't see it in the ones over here. You sure you put it in that box?"

She crawls over to him with a sly grin on her face, she climbs into his lap, straddling his legs and wrapping her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck. She kisses him softly on the neck and finds a particularly ticklish spot just between his collarbones.

Leaning back she gazes up into his eyes. "Yes, let's make it official."

She slid her left hand down off of his shoulder and held it out for him.

As she leaned back and gazed into his hazel eyes, her breath caught in her throat, and she held it there. A chill runs down her spine as the ring is placed on her finger and she slowly closes her eyes. A single tear treks down her cheek.

She slides her hands up over his shoulders and she grasps her left wrist with her right hand. Her eyes slowly open and she exhales slowly.

She lifts the fingers of her left hand and watches as the light sparkles off of the diamonds. She hugs him even more tightly and whispers, "I love you Dean, Gods know, I do."