Hello dear readers. Sorry for the lateness of this chapter, but I've had time constraints and I was being picky with it over the last three days (including today) before I was happy with publishing it (and I've had this nagging plot bunny for another Bade/Teddie story that's been distracting me). I still have a nagging feeling that it could be better.

Allthingscute: Thank you. I hope Beck and Jade's moment is special enough.

Challenge King: Thank you. As you know from all my writings, I enjoy the Freddie/Jade interaction, whether it be romantic or platonic as they have that contrasting personality yet have things in common makes for interesting storytelling. Tori and Freddie are just that nice girl/boy-next-door couple that people love (and a lot had hoped he would have had with another brunette that used to host her own web-show).

Guest: Thank you. I am feeling better. Freddie was just faster on the draw, but structure wise for the story, I think it will be more emotionally satisfying for Bade for them to be the second couple to be resolved.

Bade: Thank you. I'm glad you enjoy this crossover pairing. I think they could have had something if given the opportunity on screen. Let's hope Beck can pull it off so he gets his Bade ending.

Fanfic-Reader-88: I'll have to remember to put Freddie and Jade in more bathroom stalls and see what happens. Let's see how Beck is going to salvage his night. You're welcome.

Twilight Warrior 627: Teddie will be tying the knot. Beck is going to have to figure something out if he's going to ask the question before the night is out. We'll see how he pulls it off.

Invader Johnny: It was probably the longest moment of his life short of probably those few seconds where he jumped in front of that taco truck in 'iSaved Your Life', so he has a little experience in facing death :D

mkpunk: I think they would appreciate your sentiment. One could say that Beck had plenty of time… four years head start on Freddie, so… I hope you enjoy this chapter and I did Bade justice.

I know Fanfic-Reader-88 has updated and finished a little two-chapter shot of Jade and Freddie, but that isn't for the kiddies.

mkpunk has updated his Jedi 'Killer Tuna Jump' story.

Rating: K+ (At Best)

Chapter 4

In Route Vega Residence

In the driver's seat of the '69 Charger, Freddie spared a few curiously glances to his new fiancée. He was ecstatic from Tori's acceptance of his proposal and even then it wasn't really enough to describe the happiness through him, but there was an underlining inkling of curiosity running through his feelings with Tori's insistence that Jade and Beck came back home with them to celebrate. He didn't mind them of course, if anything, he wanted to tell the entire world and have the rest of their friends celebrate with them over the fact that the girl with whom he had found love again had accepted his proposal, but her insistence that they come back with them was a little nagging on his nerves.

He figured that if he was going to enjoy the rest of his night and their celebration of being engaged, he might as well take care of those feelings before he arrived at her home—their future home. He tried to ask in a casual manner, "Not that I don't mind the company—actually, I wouldn't mind if we called the others over to celebrate, but why did you insistence of them coming back to the house with us?"

Tori cleared her throat as she passed her gaze out of the passenger window, "Ah… I have a very good reason, but… ah…"

Her hesitation sent a worrying shiver through him and quickly asked, "Ah what?"

She lifted her eyebrows and softly bit into her bottom lip, giving him one of her most adorable looks. "I can't tell you."

"You can't tell me?" He laughed, "We're not even married yet and we're already keeping secrets from one another?"

She playfully punched him in the arm then explained with a smile playing on her lips, "It's not my secret to tell."

Freddie knotted his brow and slowly replied, "Okay… you have a secret that you can't tell and it somehow involves wanting Beck and Jade to come over?"

"Yes."

"Okay… will I find out before the end of the night?"

Tori took a deep breath then looked into the rearview mirror as she muttered in an uncertain tone, "Hopefully."

Freddie raised an eyebrow. His curiosity shot up instead of dissipating.

'Why would she want them over if it's not really to celebrate with us? This should be an interesting night.'

About half a dozen yards behind the black muscle car and to which Tori was eyeing in the review mirror, Beck and Jade were following.

The ride was quiet as Beck seemed fidgety as if he couldn't sit still and eyes darting from the front of the road, rearview and side mirrors in being hyperaware driver, something Jade had rarely witness of him. However, she wasn't particularly paying attention to his condition at the moment.

She was too busy being genuinely happy for her friends, but if she was honest to herself, there was a hint of buried sadness that they had made that commitment, but Beck was obviously still hesitant to take that step with her. However, that feeling was pretty suppressed as she was just as curious as Freddie as to why Tori insisted on them coming back home with them. At any other time, she would have taken Tori's reasoning at face value, but this time she felt like she was missing something and felt the other shoe would certainly drop before the end of the night.

The Charger pulled up into the driveway of the Vega home with the GTO taking the neighboring spot to the left of the black vehicle. Freddie stepped out of the car, careful not to ding the side of Beck's vehicle, then walked around the front of the Charger to get the passenger door for Tori. She thankfully smiled as she exited the vehicles and holding their leftovers/desserts.

Jade and Beck followed suit and followed the other couple to the front of the house.

Tori unlocked the door then led their quartet inside the expensive home.

Freddie shut and locked the door behind them then caught up to follow the other three deeper in the house. The ladies discarded their coats onto the couch and dropping their purses on one of the end tables to her couch. The four quickly continued to cut through the main living room and headed for the kitchen to put away their leftovers and desserts.

The back half of the first floor consisted mostly of an open plan starting with the kitchen then to the left from the perspective of the front of the house the dinning room then a secondary living room that was primarily used with an impressive entertainment and home theater system (as Tori, Trina and Freddie enjoyed their taste in video games) with the main living room used mostly to host company.

As they stopped in the kitchen, Beck glanced around and tried to listen for any telltale signs that anyone else was in the house. He casually remarked, "No Trina?"

Tori casually remarked, "No, she's out on date."

Jade laughed, "She just doesn't know when to quit."

The younger Vega sister rolled her eyes and glanced over her shoulder "Jade…"

"I'm just saying she's never had any luck with guys. When's the last time she's had more than one date with a guy?"

Tori cocked her head ever so slightly to the side and glanced up towards the ceiling to think of a time, but it escaped her for the moment. She focused back on Jade and answered, "She just hasn't found the right guy that can… appreciate her."

Jade cocked her pierced eyebrow and questioned in a surprisingly joking manner, "You mean put up with her massive ego?"

Freddie smiled and defended his future sister-in-law, "Trina's not that bad…"

The young woman with blue highlights in her hair cocked her pierced eyebrow, nonverbally questioning his assertion.

The former tech-producer half smirked as he continued, "She's gotten better over the years and… if she was a guy, we'd just say she was just self-assured. It could be worst."

"How?"

"She could have low self-esteem."

Jade cocked her head to the side and thought on the point.

Tori just shook her head as she opened the refrigerator and slipped her and Freddie's food and desserts inside then took the Styrofoam containers from Beck. She shut the door then the brunette offered, "I'm going to get us something to drink while the rest of you relax in the living room."

Beck quickly followed up, a little too eagerly than simple politeness, "Good idea. I'd actually like to finish my dessert. I'll give you a hand."

She raised an eyebrow, but didn't think much of it.

Jade and Freddie saw each other in the corner of their respective eyes, but remained quiet. They headed for the living and as they passed the dinning room table, Freddie pulled off his blazer jacket and hung it on the top of the backrest. He caught up with the lovely young woman and quickly plotted down to her right.

Once the muscular young man settled in his seat, he grinned madly. "I did it."

Jade relaxed back in the cushioned couch, raising her right arm to rest on the top of the backrest of the couch, and knowingly smiled to him. She softly praised, "I know."

"Thank you for the help."

Jade rolled her eyes and made a 'pfft' sound before replying, "All I did was suggest you take advantage of the situation."

The college student swiftly pulled the pale actress into a hug and whispered, "Nope, you don't get out of that responsibility. I mean it Jade. Thank you."

The very dark brunette stiffened for only a moment then relaxed into the embrace. Being genuinely thanked was not something she was greatly accustomed to or much physical contact except for Beck and her mother and a stepbrother that she eventually bonded due to the former tech-producer's push. She wrapped her arms around him and whispered in return, "You're welcome. I'm happy for you two. I really am."

Freddie pulled away from her and directed another smile. "Don't worry, it's only a matter of time before he asks."

The dark haired young superstar slightly bowed her head and tightened her smile.

He turned to the very large flatscreen television and reached for the remote control. "Okay, let's see what's on… How about something scary for the lady?"

Jade settled back into the cushion and crossed her arms under her chest and crossed her right leg over her left one. "You just want an excuse for your girl to cuddle up with you."

He softly challenged, "And maybe share an inappropriate laugh with my friend."

The dark brunette cracked a half smile at the fortunate circumstance that he had fit in quite easily with the rest of them at laughing at the inappropriate moments in horror movies.

He turned on the television and started flipping through the channels. After only a few clicks, he smiled when he saw what was on one channel. "Well this isn't exactly scary… but I think we could enjoy it."

A very familiar dark brunette young woman appeared on the screen leaning over the side of a bed with an older gentlemen lying motionless. She smiled almost manically as she continued her monologue in an increasingly quieter voice and finished with a massive grin, "No, I'm going to take your precious money and I'm going to destroy everything you ever loved and you can't stop me…"

Jade smirked at seeing herself on the television and commented with a stressed voice to signal that she would find a way to pay him back, "Scary no, but… I thought it was a compelling story."

He smirked while giving her a look from the corner of his eye. "I still think she was sane…"

"She was crazy…"

"Sane…"

In the kitchen, Tori went back into the refrigerator while Beck started pacing about the kitchen and failing to help her as he had offered. She pulled back out Beck's dessert and set it on the counter then headed to grab some plates to place them on something better than the containers they brought them home. She turned back to the refrigerator to grab a pitcher full of a pink liquid.

The actor chuckled nervously as he only watched, "This was unexpected."

Tori turned back to the refrigerator and beamed a smile and slightly shook her head while pulling out a pitcher of her pink lemonade. "I know… we had talked about it in the abstract, but I didn't think he would be asking me anytime…" Her smile faded when she turned around and saw his expression. She quickly picked up, "Beck, I had no idea that he was going to ask me. We never had a real serious talk about it. We kind of knew that's where our relationship was going, but I thought we wouldn't have that talk until after he finished college and hopefully my show picked up a second season."

The long haired actor raised his hands and put on a disarming smile. "I'm not blaming you or anything Tori, it's just… what am I going to do now? If I ask her now, it could look like it was me feeling guilty in you two getting together before us. That I'm just trying to play catch-up."

Tori slightly frowned as she sat the pitcher down on the countertop. She thought for a moment on how exactly they could still pull off their original plan and mildly chided herself as she hadn't thought it further than back at the restaurant in making sure the couple didn't separate from her and Freddie until the question was asked and answer one way or the other.

Fortunately someone was smiling down on her as an idea struck her. She looked up and snapped her fingers. "You have the ring."

"What?"

The brunette singer excitedly answered, "You have the ring you were going to give her. She can't think you're just copying Freddie when you show her the ring. She'll realize what you had planned for tonight."

He stopped for a moment then realized how right she was about the situation. He met her soft brown eyes and excitedly remarked, "I still might have a chance tonight."

Tori directed a confident smile back at him and answered, "Yeah, just don't waste it."

Beck glanced away and slightly nodded his head then questioned, "How?"

The brunette gave him a look seriously questioning that he wanted to do all the thinking. It was now becoming clear that it was unfair that she had to do the thinking for him, but then again over the years, she had been the plan maker of the group.

He raised his hands and cracked a smile. "Okay, okay. You've helped plenty. I'll think of something. We still have at least a good hour before we'd be expected to leave between dessert and just celebrating. There has to be a right moment for me to make it happen."

"Or you just might have to make the opportunity, but if that's going to happen, you've got to help me."

"Oh, right, sorry," he laughed in an apologetic tone.

A few minutes later, Tori walked back from the kitchen holding a tray with the plates of desserts and several empty glasses while Beck a pitcher full of pink liquid. She placed the tray on the coffee table then had a seat next to Freddie's left to cuddle up with him.

Beck placed the pitcher on the coffee table then took his seat next to his longtime girlfriend and slipped his right arm behind her back to rest on her right hip.

Jade raised an eyebrow and questioned with a heavy hint of amusement lacing her voice, "You're celebrating your engagement with pink lemonade?"

The lighter brunette furled her brow and questioned with a higher than normal pitched voice, "What's wrong with my pink lemonade?"

Freddie grinned to his fiancée and playfully answered, "Nothing, it's fine. I love your lemonade."

Jade playfully mocked, "You don't have to sweet-talk her anymore Freddie; she's already said yes."

Tori looked to Jade with a narrow gaze and thin lip expression.

The darker haired pair of young ladies grinned and continued with a lighthearted voice as to not goad Tori further, "All I'm saying is that I think the celebration of your engagement calls for a drink."

The slightly older young lady considered her point then hesitantly answered, "You're probably right, but… Trina would get upset if I raided her wine cabinet. She doesn't want to get in trouble for giving alcohol to someone underage and underneath it all, she really does look at me at her little sister and thinks she has to watch out for me especially after…"

The brunette trailed off because it would lead to some unpleasant memories of her parents breakup and eventually messy divorce which would lead her to her having to think about having to deal with them together when they had the wedding then etcetera, etcetera…

She didn't want to think about that right now. She wanted to be happy tonight knowing that she was going to marry the young man that she had fallen in love with three years ago. The one that rescued her from those unpleasant thoughts was surprisingly Jade with a shake of her head and sighed, "Fine, we'll celebrate with your pink lemonade."

Beck saw his possible opening and decided to take a shot of at least gauging her reaction to the idea of her accepting his proposal tonight, "So after you accept my proposal, we're going to celebrate with a drink?"

Jade turned her attention back to Beck and narrowed her gaze on her longtime boyfriend. She didn't think she heard him correctly, so she quickly studied his eyes and being able to read them effectively over the years told her that she had heard him correctly.

Beck shrugged a shoulder and plainly stated, "What?"

The blue dressed actress quickly put on a figuratively mask while she tried to assess why he would say such a thing. His question certainly was a clear statement that he was interest in asking for her hand. It should have been at least a mildly joyful

Did Freddie's proposal the catalyst to serious consider marriage to her?

Jade mulled over the question as she sat up and reached for one of the empty glasses and Tori followed to pick up the pitcher and pour the drink for her. The lighter skin young woman politely nodded her thanks once Tori finished then took a quick sip. She reluctantly smiled as she did enjoy the sweetness of the drink and contrary to popular belief, she didn't have a problem with the color pink.

Beck followed with sitting up and leaning towards the coffee table to grab another empty glass. Tori graciously filled his glass then filled one for herself and Freddie. She sat the pitcher down, passed the glasses to the young men then picked up her glass and settled back into Freddie's one arm embrace. Beck still couldn't understand even after all these years how lemonade could be pink, but didn't make any comment and just enjoyed the drink.

The couples relaxed on the elongated couch and watched Jade in her performance of trying to end her father's life and getting away with the crime. This wasn't the first time they had seen the movie as most of them had managed to get together to watch the premiere the previous summer in New York while Beck and Tori were filming their movie and Jade a momentary break in her summer tour just after the 4th of July performance.

Tori and Freddie eventually started on their respective desserts then started sharing them, being almost annoyingly playful in Jade's eyes and occasionally feeding each other their desserts. They were utterly and blissfully happy with one another. Marriage between the couple was the obvious next chapter for their anything but storybook romance of a girl/boy-next-door and they were enjoying every second of it.

Jade didn't want to begrudge the pair's happiness. They had both been through their share of chizz with her being a major part of Tori's grief over the years in high school that upon reflection, a lot of soul searching and unwavering support from Tori, she regretted deeply. Freddie by the same token had turned out to be a true friend to her since his permanent move to the City of Angels to attend collage at UCLA. Her personality hadn't driven him off, but instead had been there when she needed him the most.

She'd glance to Beck, but he was more focused on the television screen and occasionally sipping on his lemonade than paying any real attention to her. However, it gave her the opportunity to really study him without having to worry about any awkward questions about catching her gaze.

Since she had kept most of her attention on Freddie during the meal, she hadn't noticed for the most part Beck's nervous disposition throughout the evening, but now that her friend wasn't the focus, she started picking up the slight differences in his normal body language which she wrongly assumed were quite recent since they arrived at Tori's place.

Her mind started considering and weighing the possibilities of the reason behind his sudden apprehension. He had hinted about asking her to marrying him with the reference to the celebratory drink.

Was that a panicked response to seeing their friends' engagement?

Was he going to ask her out of embarrassment of Freddie asking Tori the question after three years and he still hadn't at seven years?

Was he going to ask out of guilt?

She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. If he was going to ask her to be his wife, she certainly didn't want him to ask out of a sense of embarrassment that Freddie had beaten him to the punch with Tori and he was just trying to play catch-up in some lame attempt to save face.

The blue hair highlighted musician continued to be lost in her thoughts as she zoned out in watching herself on the screen and taking the idly sip her drink.

After about a half hour later into the movie (just after the service for Jade's television father), the light skinned starlet pulled herself out of her thoughts and idly commented, "I think I'm ready for my desert."

Tori lifted her head from the crook of Freddie's neck and laughed, "Watching all that revenge must work up an appetite?"

Jade looked past Beck and gave her former rival a slight glare. "Planning and execution burns more calories, but no. I've just finally digested enough of that fantastic meal to really enjoy my dessert instead of feeling like a stuffed pig. I don't want to feel like André does every time we go as a group to Maestro's and he overdoes it."

Beck snorted out a laugh remembering the times he literally had to help André lift his fork to his mouth to get the last bit of dessert into his mouth. However, he didn't dwell on the humorous memory. He pulled away from Jade and nearly jumped from his seat and offered, "I'll get your dessert."

Tori noticed his eagerness and decided to pull from Freddie's grasp, much to his disappointment, and stood up to offer, "And if you want a drink, I'll sneak a bit for you from Trina's stash."

Beck and Tori quickly walked around the front of the couch, around the left end of the piece of furniture and headed to cut through the dinning room without saying another word to their respective significant others.

As soon as the pair was in the kitchen, Freddie looked to Jade and asked with a knotted brow, "You see what I'm seeing, right?"

Jade felt a little bit of relief that she wasn't the only one that saw it and it wasn't just her imagination. The last thing she needed was to irrationally fear that something was going on between the pair. The days she thought something could actually happen between her boyfriend and former rival were long past and she would like to keep it that way. She gave him a sideway glance and quietly answered, "Yeah. What's going on between those two?"

"I don't know, but I know that she has a reason for you and Beck to be here and it's not just to celebrate with us."

Jade's eyes opened wider then leaned towards him and snapped in a hushed tone, "She does? Why?"

Freddie looked over his left shoulder and over the top of the backrest to look at his fiancée and friend. They were safely a good dozen feet or so away in the kitchen getting Jade's dessert and drinks. He scooted closer to Jade and lowered his voice further while nonchalantly turning the volume up on the television (which coincidently Jade's character on screen was doing the same before confronting her ex-boyfriend), "I don't know. She wouldn't tell me. It wasn't her secret to tell she said, but I would hopefully find out by the end of the night."

Jade knotted her brow and slightly shook her head. "Well she hasn't talked to me about anything, so…"

The handsome fella from Seattle slightly tilted his head to the side and voiced his conclusion, "So… it has to be Beck secret and they are conspiring about it."

The blue dress wearing young woman questioned in an even softer tone with a hint of worry, "But about what?"

Freddie knotted his brow as he concentrated to try to put the pieces together. He casually thought out loud, "A secret she can't tell and you two need to be here tonight for it to be revealed. There are only a few things it could be…"

Jade thought of two possibilities, one right after the other. The first possibility she wanted to toss aside out of hand and responded with a sarcastic filled voice, "What? They plan to tell us they've secretly been seeing each other? I don't think my sixteen year old self would buy such a thing, so it can't be that, so…"

The dark brunette's shoulders dropped and a look of sorrow appeared on her beautiful face as one possibility dawned on her. "Oh no…"

Freddie immediately questioned with a concerned voice and expression, "What?"

She regretfully asked, "What if he really is planning to propose to me?"

His concern shifted to confusion. "Isn't that a good thing?"

She slightly bowed her head to break eye contact with him. "Not like this. I don't want him to ask me out of guilt because you asked Tori first. I don't… I don't want to be an after thought to her." She looked up to him as she realized what she had spoken and how he could have interpreted her words. It went without saying she cared very little what other people thought of her, but he was one of the few exceptions. "Freddie, I mean—"

He placed his left hand on top of her right hand and warmly smiled to her. He quietly comforted her, "I know what you mean. I've been second best practically my entire life to everyone—except my mom of course. I'm quite intimate with the feeling."

The internationally recognized singer cracked a smile at his understanding.

He countered moments later, "That could be it, but we haven't been separated from them since I proposed except when they were getting the desserts and lemonade and that was after Tori said she had a secret to me, so how could a spur of the moment proposal be 'the secret'? Unless…"

Freddie slightly glanced to the ceiling as a new combination of the puzzle pieces were being put together.

Jade knotted her brow, becoming further confused about what in the world was going on tonight between her boyfriend and former rival.

In the kitchen, Beck went to the refrigerator while Tori went to grab an identical plate that she had placed her and Freddie's desserts. She sat the plate on the countertop then went to the cabinet to grab a bottle of wine and wine glass. She glanced over her shoulder and remarked, "You look like you have an idea."

Beck sat the desert back on the counter and answered with a voice filled with far more confidence than he had previously in the day, "I just might. I think I'll try the dessert trick."

Tori smirked and flicked an eyebrow. "That's not such a bad idea, but do you know what you're going to say to her?"

"The exact words?" He shook his head, but easily admitted, "No, but I do know what to say to her."

The brunette teasingly smiled while she asked, "And what's that?"

"The truth."

"You really can't go wrong with that with her."

Tori set about to get some wine and a few glasses while Beck went to the refrigerator to retrieve Jade's dessert. He brought it in the Styrofoam container back to the counter just as the brunette returned with the wine and glass. She and heartthrob actor carefully moved the dessert, which was a small but thick piece of round devil food's cake with a thick layer of rich fudge icing, onto the plate. Tori took it to the microwave and set it for just a few seconds to get the chill off the dessert and soften the fudge while Beck reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box.

The microwave dinged that it was done and Tori took the plate out then turned back to the island countertop. Beck took the ring from the box and attempted to place the ring on top and let the slightly soften fudge hold it in place. However, his hand was trembling more than when he was vibrating several Christmases ago with a near coffee overdose he was forced to endure due to a noisy cricket somewhere in his old trailer.

Tori fortunately took the ring from his fingers and with a far more delicate touch was able to place the ring up and delicately on the center of the dessert.

The long haired actor sighed in relief and a surge of much needed confidence filled him when he saw the picture perfect presentation for the ring.

The pair in the living room reestablished their distance on the couch; Jade becoming increasingly apprehensive and worry setting in for Freddie for his friend. The dark brunette with blue highlights easily heard the footsteps cross the dinning room behind them. They weren't a comforting sound. She was silently praying to any deity that would listen to her that Beck wouldn't ask her that question tonight.

Beck walked in front of the couch and stopped in front of Jade. He was wearing one of his charming smiles while holding the plate in his hands. He happily announced, "Here's your dessert."

She looked up to him with a casual smile, but pause when she saw a glint catch her eyes.

He took a knee in front of her then held up the dessert to her gaze so she could get a better look.

Jade's gaze followed the dessert and stared at the ring that was propped up in the dessert as if the sweet was an elaborate little ring box. It was a silver band with a diamond set on top in a larger carat than what was on the ring Freddie gave Tori, but was not absurdly big or gaudy with two fairly small jade stones on either side of it.

She had reached the conclusion that there was a strong chance of him asking her to marry her and all the unwanted negative emotions that would be attached to such an act tonight, but the sight of an actually ring threw her for a bigger loop. She finally broke her eyes away from the piece of jewelry and met Beck's mildly smirking grin. "Beck?"

He softly spoke the words that resided in his heart, "Jade West… you have been my companion for the last seven years. We have been through troubles, oh have we been through our troubles, but we've been through the good times too and we always came back to one another because we love each other… I love you. I want to keep loving you for the rest of my life and be by your side. I hope… I pray that you want the same with me… as my companion… as my wife… so, will you be my wife?"

Jade's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as he looked to the man that had always had her heart even through the bad times. The terms 'stunned' and 'disbelief' were just the tip of the iceberg in trying to describe the young woman's feelings at the proposal. The world around her seemed to fade away and all that existed in that moment was the ring in front of her.

Tori parroted the fellow actress from the restaurant, "This is the part where you say yes."

The pale actress blinked and seemed to come back to reality enough to utter barely above a whisper in such a way that it sounded as if another voice was speaking for her, "Yes."

Beck raised an eyebrow and questioned, "Yes?"

Jade repeated for him and herself to make sure she uttered the word, "Yes."

The long haired actor asked again to make sure that he had heard her correctly, "So you'll marry me? You'll be my wife?"

She blinked and the first tears started rolling down between her nose and cheeks. She broke into one of the most beautiful smiles that any of the three had ever seen on the young woman—which was actually a few times in private among the friends—and practically flung herself at him.

Beck was just quick enough to get the dessert out of the way before it was made a squishy mess between them and ruined their clothing.

Tori took the plate from his hand and set it on the coffee table.

The long haired heartthrob wrapped his arms around her and laughed into her ear, "I'll take that as a definite yes."

They pulled apart and Jade let out an uncharacteristic giggle.

He reached up and cupped her left cheek and brushed a tear away with his thumb.

She dipped her head forward and gently caught his lips in a gentle kiss.

As the longtime couple were lost in there own little world for a few moments, Tori slid to sit across Freddie's lap and wrap her left arm around the back of his neck and rest her right hand on his left shoulder. She pressed her cheek against him and softly muttered, "Aren't they adorable?"

Freddie slightly turned his head and directed a narrow and teasing stare at her. He questioned in a teasing tone, "So this is what you were conspiring about? It was a conspiracy."

The brunette pulled back while maintaining her hold on him and warmly smiled to him. "Yeah," she whispered in a triumphed tone.

Jade and Beck traded a few more innocent kisses then Beck pulled away to answer for his brunette friend. "Yeah, we were conspiring—or to be more accurate, Tori suggested the double date while we were at lunch today so that I could give Jade a romantic setting to propose to her at her favorite restaurant. It should have been the perfect setting to ask a girl for her hand… and you took perfect advantage of it."

Freddie grinned and casually answered, "That was only because Jade suggested I take advantage of the opportunity…"

Beck raised his brow with the revelation that his girl and Freddie had conspired in the same as he and Tori. Before he or Tori could comment on the humorous coincident of them all thinking the same plan, the darker haired brunette asked in mild astonishment, "You were planning to ask me all along?"

Beck smiled to her and simply answered, "Yes."

Jade slightly bowed her head and muttered barely above the sound of her own voice, "So you weren't just asking me out of guilt that Freddie asked and Tori said yes?"

She intellectually knew that couldn't have been the case with him presenting a ring, but her emotional part needed to hear his words.

Beck dropped any of his usual laidback casualness and answered from the soul, "Nope, I was going to ask you all along tonight, but Freddie beat me to the punch with Tori. I'd been struggling for the last week in trying to figure out how I would do it… and terrified that you would say no to me… that after all we'd been through, maybe I wasn't good enough for you… I had my doubts that you would say yes…"

A relieving smile formed on the pale actress' face and she puffed out a short breath, taking with it all the negative emotions that had invaded her over the last few minutes. A few more stray tears fell along with the release of breath and threatening to ruin her makeup.

He knotted his brow and questioned, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing is wrong," she replied with a faint smile before cupping his cheeks and tenderly pressing her lips to his lips.

The couple pulled away after several more seconds of gentle exchanges before breaking apart. Beck reached over to the cake and delicately took the ring out of the top of the cake. He gently brushed off any bit of chocolate residue from the bottom of the band then offered it to his love.

Jade extended her left hand and Beck carefully slipped it on her ring finger. The pale musician took a few more seconds to study the ring as if she was making sure it really existed on her finger and all it represented: love and commitment.

Tori tilted her head to the side and softly sounded as she did years ago after she helped reunite the pair after their first breakup five years ago, "Owhhh…"

The couple turned their heads and gave her the same stare they did five years ago.

Tori this time grinned happily instead of apologizing.

Jade shook her head with a soft role of her eyes and turned back to trade more kisses with the long haired actor.

Freddie pressed his lips to just in front of Tori's right ear then whispered, "We're not having a double wedding are we?"

The lovely half-Latino actress let out a warm laugh and eyed him with a teasing glance.

As the four celebrated, the front door opened then was quickly closed by whoever entered the mansion. The clicking of heels on the tile foyer echoed throughout the first floor then ceased once the individual reached the carpeted main living room. The clicking picked up once she reached the kitchen, Trina being drawn to the lights of the kitchen, dinning room and secondary living room.

Without seeing the scene among the quartet, Trina was practically beaming as she threw up her hands and shouted, "I had the best night ever!"

The couples stood up and gave the older Vega sister a mixture of odd and sympathetic glances.

The older of the Vega sisters paused and gave the quartet a near pout expression, realizing something important had happened while she was gone. "What did I miss?"

The four broke into soft laughter at Trina's lost expression and glanced to one another as if they were sharing an inside joke.

Trina furled her brow and shouted in a slightly high pitched voice, "What?"

Author's note: I hope you've enjoyed this story. I hope to now get back to 'iGuess We're Roomies' very soon, which I wanted this to help get that Muse going.

Thanks to all that read and reviewed this story. I greatly appreciate it and you can show your appreciation by letting all those that think they would enjoy this story to read and review it. You can also check out all my other recommendations.