Originally posted November 14
((If I woke up and decided what I would want to RP out the day that I'm cramming for my first kickoff meeting with clients of my new job and and an evening when I have to fly out to Atlanta, this would not be that story. Still, when Squirrel and I connected that faithful morning, it turned out that Mac and Chance had other ideas.
This is the first part of what became an extremely interesting and fun day of RP. We'll post more as we continue to clean up transcripts. Comments and thoughts are welcome. Please keep in mind that these details are not yet public knowledge.))
Her legs wrapped around him, trapping Chance in their bed. She had snuggled tightly against him as they slept. He might tease her about taking up more than her fair share, but their limbs always intertwined during the night. Their bodies sought each other out while their minds rested.
He had awoken a few moments before, contenting himself with watching her for a while as she slept, unwilling to disturb her. MacKenzie's eyelids fluttered open and focused on his. They shared a smile across a shared pillow.
"What's on your mind, Mac?" Chance asked. "You're doing that thing."
"What thing?" she challenged, smiling.
"With your mind," he explained starting to smile himself. "I'm starting to tell when you're thinking about something, but don't know quite how to say it yet." He bit his lip. "At least I think that' what it is."
"You are right," she confessed with a playful, harrumph. "I was thinking about Ellie and Cael, and you and me."
"Yeah?" he asked, nipping at her lips. She nipped back then propped herself up on an elbow to look at him better. Her eyes sparkled in the morning light. "I know that our lives put us in more danger than the normal person," MacKenzie began. "That there is the chance that bad things will happen. OK. More than a chance. Bad things inevitably will happen."
Chance nodded, listening. She reached out with her free hand to caress his cheek. "I just," She stammered then paused. "Something that Cael said hit home with me. He said, 'I would move the heavens and hells to save you.'"
"I guess seeing how rattled Cael was with the thought that he might lose Ellie just made me think about losing you." Her eyes looked deeper into his. "It made me think about how you had to feel for all that time."
"I believed in us," he told her. "This love gave me strength." He looked away briefly before adding, "But I was so scared, Mac."
She kissed him then apologized. "I am sorry that you had to go through that. I wish I could have made it easier for you."
"I'm willing to work as hard as necessary for this, Pow. It's that important to me. There will be times when.... well," Chance tilted his head. "You'll be scared, too. I'm a bit more squishy than you and I don't have the wolves."
Fear flashed through her eyes before good humor pushed it brusquely aside. Mac waved her fingers at him. 'Yeah, but you have me and my healing fingers."
"Oh, I thought those were magic fingers, putting me under your love spell," he teased her smiling.
"No, no," She told him, turning her fingers and reaching to tickle the scarred flesh across his ribs. "It is when I wiggle them this way! That is me putting you under my magic love spell." Chance giggled as he weakly tried to escape, stealing tiny kisses between laughs.
She stopped and decided to lengthen a kiss. "I love you so much."
"Do you think we should change anything, Pow, now that you've seen Cael and Ellie?"
"I would not change anything with us, what we have, it works for us." She kissed him again. "At least I think it does."
"I think it does, too," Chance assured her as his fingers traced the line of her flank beneath the sheets. "You don't want to run off and get married?"
"I think about marriage," she told him as she smiled, "but I don't think that it is necessary to have a piece of paper. I know that I am committed to you for the rest of my life. I believe you are to me. That piece of paper will not change that."
"Nope," he agreed, "and I think we should space out the parties a bit more," he added with a grin.
"Yeah I agree," she told him with a wink and a smile.
"I'd like to draw up some papers, though. Power of attorneys, visitation rights." He bit his lips. "Just because we think we're family, doesn't mean everyone else does."
"So the papers will make it more legal?"
"Right now, Mac. If you were in a hospital, in ICU? I couldn't visit you. If something happened to you, if you disappeared, I wouldn't be able to manage your affairs."
She frowned then goggled. "So we get legal without the ceremony?" Chance nodded. "I've had some gay friends go through it. Does that bother you, legal without the ceremony?"
MacKenzie took a long breath and exhaled slowly. "I,...I don't know honestly. I mean, it's necessary, I guess. But if we are going to do the legal thing, why not just get married?"
"Well, it would help on taxes," Chance told her, sticking out his tongue. Kiss touched it with her own before it could retreat. "Was that a proposal?" he asked "If it was, I think you might need some practice."
"Is that what you want?" she asked, laughing "Do you want me to propose to you?"
"I want to be sure it's what we want to do. We could elope, keep it quiet. Celebrate later." She sat up in the bed, the sheet falling away to reveal her nakedness. "What do you want Chance?"
"I want to focus on caring for you if something goes wrong, as opposed to fighting a legal battle to get to you side. I love you, now and forever, I don't want anyone else in my life. A piece of paper won't change that or keep me around when things get tough. My love for you will."
She nodded. "Then draw up the papers we will make it legal."
"Not married?"
Her eyes looked away, gathering strength before they could look back into his. "I do not want to pressure you into something you may not want Chance. It's symbolism. My family may not like it, but all that matters is that we have each other and we are happy."
Chance bit his lip then turned to reach for his nightstand. "I'm sure about what I want, Pow," he told her as he looked through a drawer. He turned back towards her, a small box in his hand. "Maybe this isn't the most romantic way I could ask," he began, looking at the tousled sheets and smelling the lingering odors of their sweat and love, "but I think here, in the house are hearts built, is a fitting place. MacKenzie's eyes blinked as they tried to focus on the tiny, black box in his hands.
The opened box revealed simple ring with a single diamond held by an antique setting. "This was my mothers," Chance told her, "and her mothers. I gave it to the wrong person once. I was tempted to get something new, but I think this fits us best. That we accept each other for all of our pasts, our mistakes, our successes." He held it out to her. "I offer it to you."
"Will you marry me MacKenzie O'Malley?"
She sat there motionless, the sight of the ring filling her eyes. "Oh… Chance," she whispered as she lifted her head. "Yes."
"I love you Pow," he told her as he slipped the ring on her finger. "I plan on spending my life with you."
"I love you Chance and I want nothing other than to spend the rest of my life with you." She smiled, holding her hand up to look at the tiny sparkle.
"We can get a different band, if you like…and I understand if you don't want to wear it all the time."
"Why wouldn't I want to wear it?" she looked at him, nonplussed. "It's beautiful."
"I didn't know if you want to announce it, yet."
"I can wear it and not say anything," she told him as she grinned. "I want Ellie and Cael to have their day."
"Do you want to elope? We can fly to Vegas. I know it sounds cheesy."
The idea sparked a giggle. "If that is what you want."
"What do you want? It will solve the legal questions. I don't know how you'd feel about keeping it secret."
"Can I tell Ellie?"
"We can bring her along, and Cael, if we want. I'd like Eddie there."
"I would like that." She nodded. "I know she and Cael would keep it a secret."
"Want to go today? There's no waiting period in Nevada."
"Really?" She took her turn biting her lip. "I... uh.. I need to find out if Ellie is available."
"What would you like, Mac? Would you like a ceremony? We can wait. Tell me, Pow."
"I... I just want to be with you Chance. I don't have… I want... I am shocked, I think." He kissed her. "I want to make things legal for us.. If that means we go tonight, then let's go." She smiled and nodded. "A ceremony can always come later if we want it to."
"Want me to call Ellie?" MacKenzie smiled with mischief in her lips. "Yeah, would you please?" Chance dialed his phone. "Ellie? You awake? You doing anything today?" He handed the phone over.
"Ellie?" Mac asked. Chance couldn't hear the response, but smiled at his fiancé's laughter. "So Vegas tonight? Good with you?"
MacKenzie giggled. "OK. You and Cael have to keep this a secret. OK?"
"We are sorta eloping."
Chance heard the squeal clearly. Mac pulled the phone from her ear, wincing. She set the device on speaker. "Ummm, Ellie?"
Their friend laughed honestly. "Yeah! Awesome Mac! I mean..."
"We want you and Cael to be there with us but we really want to keep it a secret for a while."
"Uh.. dress..," Ellie babbled with excitement. "Oh my God… and… uh… oh… hell y'know… what happens in Vegas!"
"We'll have a celebration later." Chance chimed in.
"Betcha ass we will." The wicked little chuckle he heard frightened Chance a little. "And a late girls night out," Ellie added.
"Oh yah," Mac agreed. "Definitely a late girl's night."
"And someone's gotta lead Chance around the streets on a dog lead wearing a leather face mask," Ellie continued. "Oh. Did I say that out loud?!" The three of them shared laughter.
"Oh boy!! ummm.. so," Ellie stammered. "I mean… When? How? Plane? Dress or what? and uh…"
"I guess that is something we need to figure out," Mac interrupted with a chuckle.
"I can arrange a plane," Chance assured them. "A private jet worked OK for us last time."
"Yeah. That would be a good thing," Mac agreed. "I think Strobe would question us taking the team jet."
"I know where he keeps the car keys," said Ellie's voice over the speaker in a conspiritorial tone, "and I know where he keeps the fuel card."
"It's ok, Ellie. I'll work it out," Chance said.
"It would so drive him nuts to wonder," Ellie chuckled, then calmed. "I am soooo happy for you guys!!"
"I plan on looking good for my girl. I'll leave dresses to you two"
"Hey y'know...," the phone speaker mused. "Best way to do it. Fly out there and go shoppin for what we need when we get there. They've got all kinds of stuff. And its all pretty good stuff too! they want you spendin your winnings!"
"That is true," Mac agreed eyebrows lifting. "They have cool fashions there." Another squeal came from the phone, joined quickly be another in the room.
"Dang!!!" Called Ellie."Hey Chance you treat my girl right else I'll hafta open a can of whoop on yours!!"
"Promise," Chance responded quietly, his eyes watching his fiancé.
"That's better," said the voice on the phone. "Now I can settle!"
"Any other advice Ellie?" Chance asked the phone. The speaker conveyed a smirk. "Yeah. Don't forget to ask."
The young husband to be grinned lopsidedly, remembering a conversation over drinks a few nights before. "That elastic is a lot tougher than it looks." MacKenzie laughed
"I think youire good. 'Sides,my advice usually leads to.... Uh well. Never mind that part."
"Your advice was, uhh… very well received," Mac told the phone, drawing more wicked laughter.
"Well, lemme know when, k? I'll be there!" Ellie said. "And if we need to go shoppin…"
"We need to. We sooo need to. I have no clue what to even look for!" Mac exclaimed.
"You n me both!! Every time I go looking for a dress, the guys in the stores ask me 'who died' or send me to the funeral section." The voice on the phone faded as Ellie called out. "Hey Cael! Wake up! I'm pregnant!" The voice on the phne laughed. "No. Seriously. Wake up. What? No. I'm not."
"Uh. OK. I better go. I think Cael's in shock. Call me when ya ready to hit the stores or fly out. Whichever way rounds great! Love you guys! And I'm soooooo happy for you!!"
"Okay hun," Mac told the phone. "See you soon. Thanks. Love you too." She ended the call with the touch of a button.
Chance looked up from the phone, his eye slightly glazed. "Thomas-O'Malley? O'Malley-Thomas? Mrs. O'Malley?" A shake of his head did nothing to dispell the light haze. "How are you feeling, Pow?"
"I feel," she blinked and grinned, "great and nervous and in shock still and happy."
"Well, you have about 8 hours to flee if you have to."
"No. I am not nervous like that, more about what to wear than anything."
"Ready to make it official?"
"I am ready," she told him with a firm nod. "Are you?" He drew close, wrapping their sheets around the both of them. "I am. I am so in love with you." Mac snuggled into him as she replied, "I am so in love with you. I feel like I am in a dream sometimes."
"The dream didn't include a big wedding?" Chance asked cautiously. "I just want to make sure you get what you want, Mac. I like our idea. Make it legal, protect us, and have the fairytale later. But only if that's OK with you."
"That is exactly what I am thinking. Its fine with me," she assured him. "Maybe after we have been married a year or five, we can do the big thing."
"We have to pick out bands {grins} and oh," Chance bit his lips as color rose in his cheeks. I've never made love to a married woman. Think it will be different?"
"And I have never made love to a married man," Mac told him, grinning "I think it will be magical." She paused, thinking. "We have a lot to do really."
"What all do we have to do? Plane, hotel, licensing, ceremony... clothing?"
"Yeah. Clothing is the biggest thing I think. Ellie and I are going to go shopping."
"I
I'll handle all of the other stuff," Chance volunteered.
"And the bands! We have to pick out wedding bands."
"Yes we do," Chance agreed. "I'd like something simple. Platinum. I may need to take it off in costume."
"I like simple really and platinum is a good choice."
"Wow," Chance chuckled. "Married life sure seems easy so far." He thought for a moment, considering. "Was it ok, Mac? The proposal?"
She leaned over to kiss him. "It was perfect Chance."
"And the ring?" Mackenzie held up her hand to look at the ring in the light. "It is beautiful."
"You're beautiful." A blush covered her cheeks as she answered. "I don't think that I will ever get used to hearing you say that."
"Mrs. O'Malley?"
"Mrs. Thomas," she said plainly.
"Mrs. Thomas." He laughed. "Traditional girl."
"In some ways," she told him with a nod. He reached up to touch her cheek. "You'd better get dressed. I might try to break your record if you stay here much longer."
MacKenzie giggled before replying. "Yeah I need to." She bit her lower lip. "I love you, Chance."
"I love you, MacKenzie. I will try to be a good husband." She kissed him one last time before leaving their bed. "You are going to be the perfect husband, Chance. I know it because you are perfect now."
((Screen shots from the ceremony and a beautiful work Rabid Squirrel and I commissioned))
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