He didn't have a box for the ring, but he wasn't expecting to be holding it for long. He hurried back to his quarters, then froze up when he was outside the door. < Petra, is Maggie in my cabin? >
< Yes, Nick. >
< Thank you, Petra. >
< You're welco, Nick. >
Nick took a few deep breaths, pald the ring in his right hand, and gave the ntal command to open the door.
Maggie was sitting cross-legged on his bed, staring off into space, but she imdiately focused on him. "Nick."
"May I...co in?" he asked inanely.
Maggie gave a small smile. "It's your cabin, Nick." Then, her face fell. "Do...you...need to leave...?"
"NO!" She was startled, and he ntally slapped himself. "Um, I an, no. I have sothing to say. Ask. I have sothing to ask you. I an." Nick was having a little trouble breathing. He could see that she was tense, braced for bad news. God, you are such a dumbass, Nick. Don't blow this.
Just fucking do it before you fuck it up more. "Margaret...Elizabeth...Palr..." The blood drained from her face.
As he got down on one knee, a stupidity flashback hit, and he dropped the ring. Frantically, he blinked until the hallucination went away, then searched on the floor for the missing, all-important jewelry.
"Nick? What are you...?"
He finally found it, scooped it up, almost dropped it again, and then held it up for her to see.
Almost stamring, he asked, "Will you marry ?"
Maggie's hands flew to her mouth as her eyes widened in shock. She stared at the ring, then at him, while her eyes filled with tears.
She nodded.
Oh, thank God.
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Maggie didn't say a word. She just kept nodding over and over, smiling wider and wider while she burst out crying. Nick held the ring out to her. His hand was shaking and he was worried about dropping it again. Sohow, between the two of them, they managed to get it on her finger. Then, she clenched her hand into a fist, as if terrified that she would lose it if she didn't.
Finally, they kissed.
It was their first kiss, and awkward as hell. They almost knocked their teeth together. We've got a lifeti to figure it out, he thought, trying not to bruise her lips or his own.
The hug went a lot better. They had hugged each other a thousand tis, and it felt completely natural. Nick kissed the top of her head. "I...love you," he managed, surprised to be putting those words together in front of her. "I really do. I...gim a while to figure out how this works, 'cause I'm a dumbass, but this," he gripped her left hand a mont, "is the best thing I've ever done."
"I want to make you happy," Maggie said at last, looking up at him. "I want to keep doing that for the rest of our lives. You deserve so much love, Nick. You do!" she insisted, as Nick tried to hide his face again. "Fine, don't believe . But you're going to get all the love I can give you, now and always."
"That's...I can accept that. Thank you. I will always try to do right by you. I will always take care of you, and protect you, and...and do everything else on the husband list, of which I really need to get a copy because I was not planning this at all."
"Can you...tell you love , again?"
"I love you, Maggie." It was easier to say the second ti.
"I didn't realize it until this week, but looking back, I think I've been in love with you for years, Nick. I just couldn't...face it before now. I was so scared that you wouldn't want ..."
"We're a team, Maggie. Now and always. Everything else, we can figure out as we go, right?"
"Nick?" Petra suddenly called aloud. Nick and Maggie looked at each other in surprise.
Nick cleared his throat. "Yes, Petra?"
"Do you need defense?"
"What? No, why?"
"You are crying. Are you very unhappy?"
"No."
"Are you in very much pain?"
"No. Thank you, Petra. I'm fine. I'm...better than fine. Sotis, eyes get wet when a person is very, very happy. I am very, very happy right now."
"Did Maggie make you happy, Nick?"
"Yes, Petra."
"I like Maggie. Maggie makes you happy."
"I like you, too, Petra," Maggie called. "We are friends."
"Captain Telnik thinks that Petra needs parenting," Nick told his fiance. "I'm going to have to raise her, looks like. I'm sorry, I should have warned you before proposing, but—"
"That's fine, Nick. Petra can be our first child. A lot earlier than I expected, but she needs you, and she needs help with emotions. We were having a great conversation about emotions before you ca in."
"Thank you, Maggie," Nick murmured. Then he raised his voice. "Petra?"
"Yes, Nick?"
"I want you to know that I am not giving you away or trading you away. I am keeping you. I will stay your orbathic for a long ti."
"Thank you, Nick. I am happy."
Nick smiled. "Good. too."
", three," Maggie put in.
Nick kissed her forehead. "I guess that makes us a family, then."
"I guess it does."
", three," Petra said.
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