~December 20, 2002~

"Good morning, Alex," Beth chirped as AJ sleepily padded into his kitchen, "Welcome home."

"Beth..." AJ raised his eyebrows at her in confusion, "Did I miss something?"

Beth shook her head no as she sat happily munching on her bowl of cereal.

"Then why are you in my kitchen at nine in the morning?  Don't you have your own house, with your own kitchen?" AJ asked, looking for the milk in the refrigerator.  It was on the counter.

"Okay, first of all, it's almost ten.  And yes, I do have a house, and it does have a kitchen.  I was coming to welcome you home," she grinned around a big bite of cereal.

"I've been home almost a week now."

"I know.  I've been...busy."

"Busy, huh?  Breaking in the new house?" AJ wiggled his eyebrows and grinned as he searched for his desired cereal.

"You are such a perv," Beth responded, throwing a milk-soaked cheerio at him.  She held up the half-empty box of cheerios that had been sitting in front of her, "This is the only cereal you have."

"So why is it that you are eating my cereal in my kitchen?" AJ asked again.

"We ran out.  Oh, and Katie.  I was waiting for Katie."

"She know you were coming over?" AJ poured a bowl of Cheerios.

Beth shook her head no as she took another bite.

"She's still sleeping," AJ continued.

"I got time."

"Fine.  Good.  This works."

Beth's eyebrows arched.

"Don't worry.  I just need your help...your thoughts, I guess."

Beth got up and rinsed her bowl out and placed it gently in the sink, "Maybe I will go."

"Shut up.  I need your help."

"With what?" Beth was a little skeptical about the mysteriousness.

"Katie."

"How exactly is it that I can help you with Katie?"

"You can't tell her what we talk about here,."

"I can't make any promises," Beth leaned against the counter opposite AJ, "What's going on?"

"Does she still love me?"

"Oh god. I'm leaving."

"No, please.  I'm serious.  Does she still really, really love me?"

"Are you stupid?  No wait, you're a guy.  Guys are dense."

"If I didn't need your help I would be really mad at you," AJ groaned, pushing his half-eaten bowl of cereal to the side.

"How could you ask something like that?  I aught to smack you right now.  Of course she does!  Do you?" Beth almost didn't ask the last question.  She wasn't completely sure where this conversation was going, so she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to hear the answer to that question.

"Of course I do."

"Is everything okay?"

"I'm not sure."

"Why not?  What's going on?"

"Just...the whole...baby thing.  I love her with everything in me, and I thought we were in the right place to talk about everything."

"Al, she was scared.  She blamed herself for it, and she was terrified that you would blame her, too.  And then she got to the point where she just thought it would be better to tell you in person.  She loves you to no end, and you should never doubt that."

"Okay.  Good," AJ stopped, silently thinking.

"Al, what's going on here?  I can tell there's more."

"I just...what do you think...what..."

"For the love of all things sexy, spit it out man!"

"What would she say if I proposed?"

"Marriage?"

AJ nodded.

"To her?"

"No, to the neighbor's dog.  Yes, to her!"

Beth's jaw dropped, "Wow."

"So?"

"This isn't because of the baby, is it?"

"No.  Fuck no.  I was kind of expecting that though.  I guess that's why I asked.  I decided I was going to do it before I  even got home...while I was in Germany.  I got the ring and everything."

"Wow."

"I guess I just need your help with it all.  Should I still do it?"

"I..." Beth shrugged.  She was suddenly extremely intrigued, curious about his plans for this proposal.

"I'm afraid she'll say no because she thinks I'm doing it for the wrong reasons.  How can I make her see it's because I really want to?"

Beth ignored his last question and asked instead, "When were you going to do it?"

"I was planning on Christmas morning."

"Aww, that's so sweet!  Did you have it all planned out?"

AJ nodded, "You can't tell her anything.  If I do this, it's got to be a surprise."

"I promise."

"So you think it will be okay to ask her?"

"Ask who, what?" Katie walked into the kitchen.  She walked over to AJ, kissing the side of his mouth.  She turned around towards Beth, leaning into AJ, their bodies fitting together perfectly.  Katie was trying to figure out what her best friend and her boyfriend were discussing.

AJ's mind raced for a good cover-up, but he came up empty.  He squeezed Katie tightly to him and began nuzzling her neck in a feeble attempt at distracting her.  She'd figured him out and was determined to figure out what was going on.

Finally Beth spoke up, having come up with a great excuse.  Well, maybe it wasn't great, but it would work.

"He wanted to ask you...to get out of the house...to have...a girl's day...with me!"

Katie squinted at Beth, detecting a lie, but not putting up much of a fight, "I don't know why I'm wanted out of the house, but I haven't spent much time with Beth recently, so I think I'll go along with this..."

"Good," Beth smiled.

AJ mouthed the words ‘Thank you' to Beth over Katie's head.

"So what are we doing today then?" Katie asked.

"Umm...girly stuff...duh?  You got any shopping to do?"

"I can't pass up shopping."

"Good.  We'll do some shopping, maybe a mani and pedi...it'll be fun."

"I'll go get changed then," Katie peeled herself from AJ's body and left the kitchen.  She still knew something else was going on, but a day with her best friend was desperately needed.

"You have several hours.  Make this good or I'll kick you," Beth laughed.

AJ had the day to make this house a Christmas-y Winter Wonderland, fit for an amazing proposal in just five days.

"Thanks Beth.  I'm going to make sure this is perfect.  This place will be all Christmas-ed out when you get back."

Five days to iron out every last detail for an engagement AJ wasn't sure was going to happen just minutes earlier.  He was determined to make it perfectly amazing.