A Happy Eventuality Chapter 2
A Happy Eventuality
by Christina A & DebC
Summary: After a lot of soul-searching, Bruce and Grace take their relationship to the next, unexpected level.
Chapter Two
With everything set according to plan, Bruce had sent Alfred to find Grace. Of course, the butler knew exactly where she was. He never had much of a problem finding any of them as they were all very easy to keep track of. They were all creatures of habit. When Grace was by herself in the mansion, she was either in the library, in her room playing with Dizzy and watching her TV shows, or exploring the manor. Today, she was doing the second and that is where Alfred found her. He was going to rely on her joy of the fourth to put the last piece of the puzzle into place.
At the quick knock on her door, Grace looked up and smiled when Alfred walked into the room. “Alfred!” she said happily, letting Dizzy onto the floor and watching as the cat wandered into his own room.
He watched the cat momentarily before turning his attention to Grace. “I believe, Miss Grace, that I have found what you call ‘a treasure’.” Of course, Grace’s treasures were the old rooms in the house that hadn’t been opened in years. She loved exploring them, and Alfred knew it. “I thought, if you weren’t otherwise engaged…”
She was off the bed and across the room before he could finish. “You know I’d love to. Lemme put on my shoes.” She grabbed her tennis shoes and slipped them on. Bruce was working out down in the basement so she had all the time in the world to nose around the manor. She followed him out, carefully securing the door behind her.
As she followed Alfred through the manor, she chatted amiably about the things she saw, asking questions and listening intently to his very patient answers. Though she did actually start to speak less as they approached what had to be the oldest part of the house. “Where are we, Alfred?” she asked, her voice almost reverent.
“One of the turrets, ma’am, on the north end of the house.”
“It’s so… old.”
“Indeed. It is actually one of the oldest sections.” He went on to explain it to her, carefully hiding his smile at what the end result of this conversation would be. When he reached the door to the ‘hidden treasure’, he opened it and stood off to the side.
Grace, at first, was overcome by the vastness of the room. She’d never been in the turret before. As she’d entered looking at the ceiling, it wasn’t until her eyes swept down that she saw Bruce. Her hand went to her chest in surprise as she looked from him to Alfred. “You planned this,” she said, acknowledging the beautiful table set for a candlelit lunch.
Alfred merely smiled in response.
Bruce had been standing off to the side, half in shadow, as he watched Grace’s amazed reaction to the room and them to their lunch. She had no idea how beautiful she was at times like this–or any time, for that matter. Her eyes lit up with all the joy she couldn’t contain and made even the simplest of things seem like the world’s greatest treasures.
Bruce thought she was the treasure.
Coming forward, he put his arms around her, kissing her softly. “I thought a change of pace would be nice… and you’re always talking about unearthing the hidden corners of this old relic.” He slipped his arm around her waist and began guiding her to the table, where three covered trays sat waiting, the candlelight reflecting in the silver covers. Turning his head, he looked back at Alfred and smiled, thanking him with a twinkle of his eyes. Aloud, he added, “Oh, Alfred… when you get a chance, could you please check back with Miles and see if he got my message?” The message in question had been an invitation for the Blaires and Meyers’ to join them for a very special dinner tonight.
“Of course, Master Bruce. I shall see to it immediately.” He turned to Grace, giving a small, half bow. “Enjoy your treasure, Miss Grace.”
Grace had honestly forgotten about the room the second her eyes found Bruce. She’d even heard his comment to Alfred and though she was curious, all she could think was to say this, “I will, Alfred, thank you.” Only she wasn’t talking out the room being a treasure. She was talking about Bruce. He was a treasure to her… his love and devotion… What had she done to deserve it? Although she knew, she loved him. Loved him like no one ever had. And he loved her in return. That was the real treasure here.
“What are you thinking?” Bruce asked as they stopped in from of the candlelit table setting. He reached out to touch a spot on her cheek where shadows from the room flickered in the light. The touch turned into a gentle caress. He couldn’t help it: her skin was soft and he loved to touch it. He loved her, more than life itself.
She smiled softly. “I’m thinking that Alfred told me the room was a treasure and that he was wrong. You are the treasure. You… the love you feel for me… us… all of that is the treasure. I might be overly sentimental, but I just can’t help it. There’s nothing and no one more important in the world to me than you. So you are the real treasure to me.” She closed her eyes then and leaned her face into his hand as it caressed her cheek. Her hands reached out and grasped his waist. Then, of course, there was the physical aspect of her love for him. Their relationship was the perfect blend of physical and emotional love.
Bruce swallowed the lump of emotion that rose up in him and leaned into her embrace for another gentle kiss. But only a soft one; he didn’t want them to get carried away and let their lunch, with all its surprises, grow cold. There would time for other types of treasuring later. “Normally, love, I would argue that it is you who are the world’s most priceless gem, but I cannot argue that our love is the most important thing to me.”
He kissed her once more, another slow, soft kiss that lingered and tempted in a whispery way, and then he pulled out of her arms and stepped towards her chair. “Now,” he said, laughing, “before we get carried away… cook made the most delicious filet mignon for us, and it’s going to get cold if we keep up like this.” He pulled her chair out like the gentleman he had been raised to be, and waited for her to take her seat.
She took her seat and leaned forward a bit while she waited for him to take his. When he did, she reached out with her free hand rested it on his while he opened the lid on his lunch. The smell wafted to her and she inhaled deeply. “I think cook outdid himself with this one,” she said, pulling her hand away and picking up the fork while the other grabbed the handle of the lid. “It smells div…” The word was cut off, however, by what she saw on the platter portion of her serving dish. There, on a purple velvet pillow was the absolute most beautiful set of rings she’d ever seen in her life. The fork fell to the table and she raised her eyes to Bruce. “Oh my,” she said, a slow smile creeping across her face. Talk about getting everything you wanted delivered to you on a platter.
Bruce was out of his seat in a flash, kneeling beside her chair. He didn’t say anything at first, just raised his eyes to the beautifully stunned face that turned to him. Taking both her hands in his, he squeezed them as he finally did speak. “They belonged to my grandparents. Grandmother wore hers right up until the day she died. In her will, she said she wanted them to go where there is love.” He paused, choking up. “It’s been a little bit longer than Gram might have expected, but, I think there’s love here.” He squeezed her hands a little tighter. “I guess what I’m trying to say is… Grace… love… will you marry me?”
Her first thought was that she was right. She had been handed the world on a platter. She hadn’t realized until recently just how much she wanted to be his wife… to be Mrs. Bruce Wayne to his Mr. Bruce Wayne. She wanted that connection to his soul… his life. As she nodded her head and the words “I would love to be your wife” fell from her lips, she knew that it was true. She wanted to be HIS wife… to be his in every way imaginable. She’d never wanted to give as much of herself to anyone until she met and fell in love with him. To be bound to him through anything life threw at them… to be his during good times and bad… to have him to hold forever… to rest beside him eternally. As a tear of sheer happiness slipped down her cheek, she continued to nod her acceptance of the proposal and all that entailed.
If it were possible, Bruce thought his heart might burst of out his chest and start flying about the room, it was pounding so hard. Impulsively, he took her hands with his. “In here,” he said softly, pressing her finger tips to the spot where his heart beat was strongest, “you have been all along.” The words tumbled out and his brain now knew what his heart had known long ago. “But I’m… ecstatic that you want to. I love you so much, Grace.”
“I love you too, Bruce.” She took his hands and moved them to her chest before letting go of one and wiping at the tear on her cheek. She also didn’t miss the import of something else either. He was offering her his family rings. Family… his family. And for Bruce to share his family… Grace had no words for the depth at which he’d just touched her with that. “And for the record,” she said softly, “I would be honored to wear the rings that your grandmother passed down… because they should be worn with love… and I would love to wear them, Bruce. I would be honored beyond words.”
Bruce nodded, choked up by her words and by the unspoken sentiments behind them. “They would have loved you, you know,” he told her as he was reaching for the engagement ring. Picking it up, he brought it to her hand, but did not yet put in on her finger. “They would have loved you every bit as much as I do. I think Mom already does,” he added, remembering his conversation with his parents on the hill that afternoon. His expression was solemn as he slipped the ring on her finger. It fit as if it were made for her. “Once I told you that marriage was not an option for me, but Grace, I know now that I was mistaken. The only option that makes any sense is you. You in my life: as my wife, my lover, and my friend. I’m the one who is deeply honored that you are willing to wear my grandmother’s ring and to be my wife.”
*****
Courtney paced the room, potentially wearing a whole in the floor as she walked back and forth. ‘Master Bruce has an announcement he’d like to make,’ Alfred had informed her. Courtney could only guess at what that announcement might be. With Bruce, it could be any number of things. Though she gauged from the look on her father’s face that it wasn’t a bad announcement. And how did he know?
She paused and looked at her father for a moment. He, of course, only smiled at her and asked her to sit down.
She kept pacing. She had a feeling that she knew what it was. And if Bruce came in here and announced that he and Grace were getting married, without telling her first, she’d throttle him.
“Courtney, hon,” Seth’s voice interrupted her plans for just *how* she was going to throttle her best friend, “please sit down.”
She stopped again and looked at her husband.
Husband.
Okay, so she wouldn’t throttle Bruce. How could she? She’d be overjoyed and ecstatic for him, just like everyone else… hell, more so than anyone else. He was her best friend and she loved him dearly. Of course, he very well could be coming in here to tell them something else. But *everyone* was here, including Chad, Alex and AnnaBeth. Her father had said that he’d run into Bruce yesterday at the cemetery. So Bruce had gone to talk to his parents. There was also the *huge* smiles on George and Janet’s faces.
Smiles that meant only one thing… ‘Our daughter is getting married.’ Courtney took a moment to look over at Chad who was obviously oblivious to anyone but Hope… right now. THAT was going to be interesting.
Oh, Courtney had little doubt that she was wrong about the purpose of this gathering. She’d been wrong once in outguessing Bruce Wayne. But that had only been once.
*****
“Are you nervous?” Bruce asked Grace after Alfred had arrived in their bedroom to tell them that everyone was waiting in the family room. Although he did the asking, he had to admit, he was a little nervous himself. Courtney was going to kill him… happily at that… for not keeping his promise and telling her of his intentions first. But there hadn’t been time, not really.
Grace rested her hand on his chest, smiling into his eyes. She didn’t think she’d ever stopped being deliriously happy. She’d wanted this but not pushed for it… happily accepting whatever he could give. Being given this was a pleasant surprise. “I don’t know that I’m nervous,” she said honestly. “It’s more like I’m so giddy with happiness that no other emotion seems to be able to penetrate it.” She looked down and her eye was caught by the beautifully old ring she’d been given. That it fit seemed like fate to her. She was literally walking on a cloud right now.
“I sincerely hope nothing else ever does,” Bruce told her, taking her hand and bringing to his lips. He kissed her just above the ring, almost reverently. Of course, earlier today, there had been other kinds of kisses. After their extra special lunch, they’d explored the turret and then made their way back to their bedroom where Bruce had showered her with all the love he felt for her. “I want to spend the rest of forever making you just as happy,” he told her as he let their fingers entwine together. It was time to go down and let the family know the good news.
“Bruce, you’ve already made me happier than I ever dreamed I’d be.” She rested her head on his shoulder as they left his bedroom and headed down the corridor. “I can’t wait to spend forever as your wife.” She signed contentedly. “I really like the sound of Grace Victoria Wayne.”
“As do I, love.” He stopped at the head of the stairs to kiss her, then guided her down the stairs with his hand on the small of her back. It felt right–natural and good–to hold her and touch her, perhaps more so now. They fit together perfectly, their names blending together as if the words were meant to be combined.
In the hallway outside the family room, Bruce stopped to give her one more kiss. “This is it,” he said softly, nodding to Alfred to open the double doors so they could walk in together. Before the elder man did, however, Bruce paused and commented, “You know, last week I made a promise to Courtney and today I’m about to break it. Actually, I already have broken it. She’s really gonna kill me,” he teased.
Grace furrowed her brows at him, curious as to what promise he could possibly be breaking. “Well I would hope that she’d understand,” Grace replied with a smile. “I would hope she’d be overcome with happiness over our news that she’d forget to kill you… at least for a while.”
Alfred waited until Bruce smiled in response and then opened the door.
Grace took Bruce’s hand and let him lead her into the room. He wasn’t joking when he’d told her that he’d invited everyone. Alex and AnnaBeth were even there. It was appropriate. They were ‘family’ too. What Grace couldn’t deny was the huge beaming smile on her parents’ faces. They knew. She wasn’t sure of the circumstances around them finding out, but she had a feeling Bruce must have talked to them. She could also tell that Courtney had her suspicions. She covertly kept her left hand hidden. She didn’t want to spoil the surprise by someone seeing the ring before Bruce told them.
Bruce squeezed Grace’s hand tightly as he looked at the room full of their friends and family. He wasn’t really nervous about telling them, he decided. They were his family, the people he cared most for in the world. Smiling, he greeted them with a warm hello and a “Thank you all for coming on short notice.”
Everyone pretty much nodded and the general murmured consensus was that no one really minded. When they all died down, however, it was Courtney’s voice that rang above them all. “Of course we don’t mind, and don’t you go all formal on us either, Bruce.” She looked pointedly at him and though her arms were crossed over her chest there was a definite smile on her face.
It was Constance who spoke up next. “He can be as formal or informal as he wants. If it’s important, which it appears to be, let him tell us how he wants to.”
“Okay,” Alex said looking from mother to daughter. “When did the body switching happen, because you two are freaking me out!”
“People, PLEASE!” Hope finally spoke up, even though she was laughing at the looks that Courtney and Constance were giving him. “The more you carry on, the longer it’s going to take him to tell us. The Pasta King is already almost blushing.”
“Already almost?” Chad asked, placing a kiss on the side of her head.
She laughed at herself. “Well, it’s good alliteration anyway.” To Bruce, she said, “I think we’re ready now.”
“Thank you, Hopeless,” Bruce teased back at his future sister-in-law. “I think I am, too.” Here he turned to Grace and a meaningful look passed between them. When he turned his gaze back to the rest of the room, it was with a sentimental look in his eyes.
“Almost a lifetime ago, or so it seems, my best friend bullied me into joining her for a in a night out on the town. She wanted me to meet her at a nightclub and meet two people who were very important to her.” He paused and nodded pointedly in Seth’s direction. “I didn’t know it at the time, but Fate had a hand in that meeting. I met someone who instantly stole my heart away… and she’s been stealing it every day since.” His eyes swept the room, gauging everyone’s reactions. Courtney was holding her breath, and he had no doubt she was piecing together where he was going with this. Looking at Grace, he gave her hand another squeeze. “Trouble is, I find that don’t want her steal it someday and run off with it. Hide it or sell it or something.” He was teasing now, and leaned in to kiss Grace on the cheek. “So I did only thing I could think of to make sure both she and my heart stick around for a while: I obtained permission from for Mr. and Mrs. O’Neil and have asked Grace to marry me.”
Everyone except Mr. and Mrs. O’Neil looked around the room at one another. Everyone, except Courtney, suddenly had happy looks upon their faces. Courtney simply sat there with her mouth agape. Seth leaned over and placed a kiss to her cheek, but it was Alex who was up first and across the room to hug Bruce and shake his hand before hugging Grace. He was followed by everyone else. There wasn’t a frown among them.
Courtney waited until her mother finished hugging Bruce and giving him a big kiss on his cheek. When the two parted, Courtney moved forward. God love her, she tried to look stern and cross. She tried to get back to that place where she wanted to throttle him, but she couldn’t. Instead, she reached out and took his hands with hers. “You know, I should be enraged because I was supposed to be the first to know. But I just can’t be. Ye, who were never going to get married… who didn’t deserve to be married…” She smiled widely. “How can I be even a bit upset that I wasn’t the first to know when you just gave me some of the best news I’ve ever heard in my life?”
Bruce ducked his head, blushing for real this time. Pulling Courtney into his arms for a hug, he said, “Yeah, well, I was mistaken, okay? Just don’t going telling anyone I said that.” Of course, he wasn’t whispering so most everyone in the room heard him. Releasing her form the hug, he added, with a grin, “Anyway, you can’t be mad at me, Nee. You have to be my best man… er… woman.”
The entire room was silent after hearing that statement. There were looks of surprise, although no one should have really doubted. It wasn’t something that should have really been a shock anyway. Courtney was Bruce’s best friend. The honor of witness belonged to the best friend and that didn’t have to be a male.
Courtney, however, was flabbergasted. It took a few moments of her looking around at all the faces in the room to realize she’d actually heard him right. When it soaked in, a large smile blossomed over her face and she hugged him tightly again. “Oh you bet because I would have been so mad if you asked someone else.”
“Oh course you would,” Bruce chuckled and hugged her again. “I wouldn’t expect any less from you.” He was teasing, but beyond the tease was a genuine happiness. She was right, of course; he had categorically denied the possibility of him getting married. And even when the idea had started to take root in his brain, he had still fought it, denying until just yesterday the only thing his heart had really wanted.
When he released her this time, his arms went around Grace. It was where they were meant to be. He couldn’t ever deny that.
The sound of voice being cleared interrupted any other commentary. From the opened double doors, Alfred stood watching them. Only Bruce, Courtney and Grace, being closer could see the expression on his face at seeing his former ward this happy.
“IF you would all be so kind as to follow me, dinner is served,” was all that he actually said.
*****
The family was in the living room, talking about the impending wedding when Chad looked down at his watch. Unsure as to how he was really processing everything, he gave Hope a quick kiss and excused himself on the pretense of using the bathroom. What he needed was fresh air and a moment alone.
George watched Chad get up, kiss his youngest daughter and leave the room. There was something in his voice, his mannerisms that night, and George didn’t think he was quite as enthusiastic about Bruce’s announcement as everyone else was. He looked to his wife and she nodded slightly. They were both happy for their daughter and Bruce was growing in their hearts, but first, there had been Chad.
After an acceptable time lapse, he rose from his seat at his wife’s side and also excused himself. In the hallway, he ran into Alfred, and chanced asking if Alfred had seen which way Chad went.
“Captain Harris just went out the front door, sir,” Alfred informed him. He was leading George to said door as they spoke. “He seemed… preoccupied.”
“He did, didn’t he?” George commented, thanking Alfred as he exited the manor. Chad was walking down the circular driveway with his hands stuffed in his pockets, as he hadn’t remembered to grab his jacket.
As the cold air whipped around him, Chad couldn’t help but wonder why he’d actually thought that coming out here would be a good idea. Instead of just being confused, he was now confused and cold. Running his fingers through his dark blond hair, he turned to head back to the manor and that’s when he saw George. Instantly, he put on a smile and called out to his favorite ‘father figure’, “Hey! It’s damn cold out here. Thought maybe the fresh air would be good, but all it is is cold.” He even managed a small chuckle. ‘Good job,’ he thought.
“It is cold,” George agreed as he approached. “It’s also rather unorthodox route to get to the bathroom,” he said, risking a mild joke. Alfred hadn’t been wrong, though George had noticed it much earlier, during dinner, that something wasn’t right with Chad. Unlike Alfred, George O’Neil believed he knew what it was. “Do you want to talk about it, son?”
Chad’s immediate response was that ‘no’ he didn’t want to talk about it. His immediate response was that he loved Hope… very much… and that nothing should be bothering him at all. Somewhere in the back of his brain he knew that times had changed, that Grace had changed, but there was that part of him that held onto it all still. He also knew
that if he could talk to anyone about it, he could talk to George. “I just find it…” he sighed and shrugged, “weird… confusing… I don’t know. I should be happy for them. Bruce has been a good friend to me. I mean… I am happy for them. But I can’t help but remember… You know?”
“Yeah, I think I do.” At one time, this young man was to have been his son-in-law. Now, God willing, he still might be someday, just not with the daughter either of them had envisioned. “You still care about Gracie, and you want her to be happy… we all do… although, I have to tell you, son, you’ve been a lot closer to Bruce this week than anyone would normally expect, considering the unique nature of the tie that binds you.” To say the very least, George had been wondering all week at how Chad and Bruce managed to get along so well without butting horns like two rams.
Chad nodded. “Oh I know Bruce will be good to her. I believe that with everything that’s in me. If I thought for one second he wouldn’t,” Chad shook his head, “honestly, Dad, this really has nothing to do with Bruce. I mean, it does, but it doesn’t. He makes her happy… happy in a way we all know I never could. So history won’t repeat itself.” He sighed audibly. “I think it was just that momentary flashback to several years ago when I asked you for her hand in marriage… and then it didn’t happen. It’s just strange, but then again, it shouldn’t bother me at all. I just don’t know what I’m supposed to think.” He looked up toward the sky and closed his eyes. “I think I’m happy for them. I think I just got spooked by that memory. A memory that shouldn’t spook me at all because I’ve gone on. And I have,” he said the last looking at George intently. “I love Hope… beyond a shadow of a doubt.”
George nodded with an audible “Mmhmm” as he agreed. “No one doubts that, son. I have noticed the way you’ve looked at my baby girl all this week, and the way she looks at you in return. It does my heart good to see my children… all of you… in love.” He clapped his hand on Chad’s shoulder.
Chad gave the elder man a soft smile. “So basically, ‘don’t worry about it, Chad’,” he said, realizing that he did have a tendency to take everything upon his shoulders. “It was just a shocker. Not a shocker that they were getting married… God knows they were really meant to be together. Just like I’m where I was meant to be.” And maybe that was what Chad really needed… to understand that George believed. If Dad did, they all should.
George smiled back at his ‘son.’ Chad wouldn’t be Chad if he didn’t place some of this on his shoulders. He had a big heart and just couldn’t help himself. “Yes, I believe are…all of you. And that is a good thing, too. Just… don’t let the shock get in the way of your being able to be happy for your friends, son. I’m very certain neither of them would want you to feel uncomfortable, things being how they are and all.”
Chad nodded and put his arm around George, patting his shoulder as he did so. “You’re right,” he agreed with a smile. “How about we call this a momentary glitch?” When George agreed with a nod, the pair moved back into the house to join the rest of the family. George was right… they should just bask in the moment and be happy. Happiness wasn’t easy to come by, and whenever two people found it, it should be celebrated. Chad was going to celebrate it.
