The Question

[After Teachings of the Kitty]

John stood outside of Angel's loft, fingering the box in his pocket slowly and thoughtfully. He had, indeed, finally gotten over the picture, despite Nick bringing it up a great deal. Angel had been in the shower for at least 15 minutes by the time he had gotten to the front door. Releasing his breath slowly, he entered the loft with a spare key that she had given him and closed the door, resting against it. Though the lights from upstairs were the only lights throughout the loft, the sounds of the shower going echoed through the silence.

Slowly, he removed himself from the door to sit down on the couch and he practiced softly to a book. After about a quarter of an hour later, the shower shut off. Upstairs Angel stepped out of the shower and pulled on her white robe, tying it securely about her and dried her hair off somewhat with a towel.

John stopped, flustered and stared at the book. "I might as well talk to a wall at this rate!"

"John?" Angel had heard his voice and poked her head out of the bathroom door and moved to the railing on the upper level to look down at him.

He looked up and slowly smiled. "Hey!"

"Hey babe…" Minus one towel, Angel moved down the staircase to him, her hair still sorta dripping water, a smile on her lips.::

He whistled softly, watching her. She smiled more at him, the tie of the robe still holding it over her form. Upon reaching him, she rose a bit to kiss him softly. "Where did you go earlier?"

He kissed her back, smiling. "Ahh…no where important."

With a smile, she kissed him again, really not having really cared where he had gone; he was here, safe, and kissing her. Gods she loved him. He pulled back from the kiss slowly and regretfully. That smile remained on her lips as she looked up at him.

"I need to ask you a question."

A brow rose some as she tilted her head. Her smile somewhat faltering. He led her to the sofa to sit.

"You know…that I'm crazy about you, right? My whole world is…well…built around you."

That smile couldn't help but grow some as he moved her to the couch and she sat down, still looking up at him, and nodding softly to his question.

"Well…uh…what do you think of me? Are you as crazy as I am for you?"

"Of course I am, John. I love you John, more so then anyone in a very long time."

He blushed slightly, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. "I'm happy to hear that…"

She looked at him curiously, watching him. Sort of bashful at first, but slowly growing confidence, he slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small midnight velvet box and gave it to her. Angel stared at the box speechless, mouth open slightly in surprise before she closed it and took the box from him slowly, and then opening it. Angel just stared down at the ring, speechless again, shifting her gaze from the ring to john and back again, her eyes teary by now.

Slowly, he slid off the sofa and took her hand in his. "Then…would you…could you…do me the honour of being my wife?"

That was it, Angel started crying as she nodded and breathlessly mouthed yes with a smile. John smiled, taking the box out of her hand gently and slid the ring onto her ring finger and then stood up to kiss her. She stood up too, kissing him and hugging and crying, happily. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back then just held her, smiling gently through the kiss. Angel slowly stopped crying and just hugged and kissed him, smiling as well.

"God I love you so much," he murmured.

"I love you too..." She hugged him tightly before sitting back down, still smiling brightly and looked at the ring on her finger.

He joined her on the sofa again, an arm draped over her shoulders. She hugged him gently, kissing him. "I love you so much."

"I know." He grinned.

She smiled at him, her cheeks tear streaked. "So where did you really go earlier...?"

"To do some thinking, get my wording down pat."

She kissed him softly again. He returned it, happy.

"Does V or Nick know?"

"Want to go over and tell them? Or just save it for this night…and tell them tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow. I don't wanna deal with Nick right now."

She looked curiously up at him, a brow raised.

"You know Nick. He'll find some way to blow it way out of proportion."

"Well he can deal with it."

"No hope...he can deal with it...and if he doesn't...V will make him."

He smiled at her. "I love you."

"I love you too, John Vari."

"And hopefully, our wedding will be much better than my brother's."

"Yes…much better…"

"John... does it have to be in a church?"

He looked at her. "Not if you don't want it to be."

"I want it to be in a beautiful garden…the trees having paper lanterns lighting it... rose and honeysuckle bushes all over the place..."

He smiled some, imaging it.

"Me in a simple white dress…walking down a white cloth that is bathed in rose petals…"

He looked down at her. "White dress…mmm…maybe decorated in forget-me-nots?"

"Maybe in my hair..."

He leaned back slightly. "I'm lucky to have you."

She returned his soft kiss.

"Got any special date you want it on? Maybe Halloween…"

"It doesn't matter love..."

He rested his head against her slightly.

She sighed softly as she looked up at him. "I really wish you could see me in sunlight..."

He looked at her. "I'm sure one day I will…I mean…with all the discoveries that doctors and scientists are making, and you being, well, uh, immortal and all...maybe someone will find a way?" He smiled supportively at her.

She smiled up at him, nodding softly. "Yes…hopefully that day will come soon." She moved onto his lap, then pressed her lips to his gently.

He returned it with tenderness and slowly deepened it. With her returning a deeper kiss, she slowly pulled him back with her, to lie there on the couch. His legs stretched out as their lips continued to be locked and he couldn't help but think how lucky of a man he was, to have her. With whispered words of love to him, she slowly pulled him into a loving passion, happy to find a man... a man that completed her life.

'Telling of the Happiness'

The next day, well, rather night, Angel and John decided to spread their great news to the family. John was obviously nervous and not really because of Va'Shanna, but more so his protective brother. Angel smiled at John that evening as they were preparing to go to V and Nick's house to tell them the news. She wasn't worried about anything as she dressed that night into a soft, light blue summer dress that went to her knees and was spaghetti strapped. He wore casual blue jeans, thick brown leather belt with a v-neck white t-shirt tucked into his jeans. Tennis shoes completed the attire.

"Nervous…?" She stepped up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she then kissed his right shoulder.

"Yeah. And jittery. I feel like a thousand rattlers are circling around in my stomach and wanna bite me to death." He sighed.

"Well... that was graphic." She moved away from John to put some shoes on.

"Sorry." He lowered his head a bit and sighed a little. "I know you and Nick "supposedly" have made up…but I don't know about him at times."

"Stop worrying love…"

She finished pulling on her heels and stood up to look at him. "We'll... I guess we better get this over with."

"Yeah..." He scratched the back of his neck briefly as he moved over to the table to pick up his keys.

She smiled sweetly at him as she went downstairs to grab a coat from the coat closet, a thin cream colored coat that went below her knees. He looked at her and smiled softly.

"Come on, babe... we gotta tell them some time."

He swallowed, then picked up his leather jacket. "Yeah…" He moved towards the door.

She stopped him, rising a bit to press a soft, reassuring kiss to his lips. "Everything will be alright."

He smiled a little. "With you being with me, yeah, they will."

"Then lets go..." She smiled as she opened the door and stepped out.

*BANG, BANG, POUND, POUND*. Nick muted the TV on ESPN and stood up to move towards the door. He was naked from the waist up and briefly looking around for a shirt, he pulled on his black one that was thrown across the back of the sofa before he looked out the spy-hole of the door. He wondered why Angel and John were here.

"Hey," he greeted them both after opening the door. "Everythin' okay?"

Angel smiled softly at Nick. "Everything is great. Is V in? We sorta need to talk to both of you."

"Uhm…yeah. She's just finishing up in the bathroom. Come in."

"Thanks." With John's hand in hers she led him inside and sat down in a chair.

Nick shut the door after them and plopped back down on the couch. "So how have you two been? Been keeping out of trouble?"

"No trouble here." She smiled sweetly, relaxing back in the chair, having of course removed her coat.

"'Bout time." He grinned a little as V came downstairs. Her hair was damp from a shower and she was dressed in baggy cargo pants and a black midriff.

"Hey V... glad you're here." >Could you... sit down please?< Angel beamed at her vampiric mother.

"Hello you two," she grinned at them and was momentarily worried but the beaming of her friend and vampiric child eased her. She sat down next to Nick who wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Angel looked at John, hoping he'd give some sign of helping her tell them. The irony of when Nick and V told him about their marriage a year ago didn't pass his mind and he now knew how Nick must've felt when he told him about it.

"Well…mmm…uhhh...Nick..." John stammered a bit, causing his brother to arch a brow.

Angel took John's hand in hers, her left hand sitting on her knee, ring there too. "Um... we're…"

Wow... Angel also found it difficult to say.

"You're what?" Nick asked, not paying attention to her ring finger. V must've not noticed either, she too arched an eyebrow.

"We're...getting..." She looked up at John and sighed softly. "Married."

V broke out in a large grin, her eyes lighting up as Nick went to looking dumbfounded. "Married?" he repeated what Angel said.

John nodded. "Yeah."

She smiled a bit at Nick's reaction, but liked V's better. "Yes... we're getting married."

"Well, I for one am glad! 'Bout time she settled down!" Va'Shanna chimed in, and received a face from Nick.

"For the second time... but this time with a guy I trust won't run off at random."

V nodded, her smile slipping a little at remembering the first man that had hurt Angel and now had snuggled up to her sister. She shivered inwardly, but shrugged it off. "Have you two set a dat--"

Nick cut her off without meaning to, "Wait, wait, wait…you two haven't known each other for even three years and you're jumping into marriage already?!"

Angel simply nodded to Nick, but sent her answer to V via mental thought. >No date yet.<

>Hmm. Well. Make sure you send us an invitation when you do!< She winked at Angel.

Unfortunately, while Nick was happy with the news, he was also unhappy with it at the same time. He knew that sometime that when he'd face the true death, he would rise again as a vampire thanks to an incident when he was shot in the head and V shared some of her blood with him nearly a year ago. But he also knew that with John's animality of a were, John wouldn't have the same pleasure…and part of him was glad for that.

He stood up. "Excuse me," he murmured to them and went upstairs.

Angel's smile dropped as she somewhat overheard Nick's thoughts, having the curse of hearing random thoughts. Blue eyes dropped to the ground some.

V rose, as if she was going to go after Nick, then looked at the two lovers and sat back down. "I'm sure it's just a shock for him."

"He's worried about John," Angel whispered softly.

"I know." She summoned up a smile for her. "As am I with you."

"But not for the same reasons, V." She smiled a bit at her mother.

"Perhaps," she agreed, looking at John. "Give him time. I know he's happy for you. Both of you."

She smiled. "Just face it, he's having the same reaction as John did when we told him the news." V snorted softly at that.

"Hm....I wasn't there for the first reaction... but I was there for his reaction of me being a vampire." She grinned at her now fiancé.

John grinned back. "Yeah. Heh. It was bad. I believe I have a much…wider and more open-minded now since then."

"Yes, you do... since you were sucked into our world."

He nodded a little, kissing her cheek. V smiled fondly at the two. Somehow, she knew that John with all of his mannerisms and still slightly priestly ways, that he'd never hurt or put Angel in danger like how Maverick did.

She kissed John's cheek in response, then turned blue eyes to V. "Should I go talk to Nick... or leave that to you?"

Va'Shanna thought for a moment then looked at Angel and said, "Maybe you should go. It might go better if he talks to the woman who'll be marrying his brother instead of me."

She nodded softly and stood up to go upstairs, following the strongest scent of Nick, the freshest trail. He was in the master bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed. The door was left open a crack.

She knocked softly on the door, opening it a bit. "Nick…?"

He groaned softly, but looked over at the door. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?" She stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

No. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" he said flippantly.

"You don't look it, and your thoughts say you aren't okay."

"Stay outta my head." He glared at her.

"I wasn't in your head. Your thoughts were floating about... really anyone could have picked them up...I occasionally have them pop in my head...whether I want them to or not." She didn't really seem to have a physical reaction to his glare.

"Then stop reading my thoughts or whatever, okay?" He looked away from her.

"I'm sorry you disagree with me marrying your brother…I really am... " She sighed softly as she turned from the door, looking down at the ground, then pushing off the door frame to go back downstairs.

She stopped, glancing over her shoulder some. "Yes...?"

"He does realize what he's getting into, doesn't he? Do you realize what you're getting yourself into, even? He won't live forever like most of your other boyfriends or whatever do."

"I know... and I'm sure he knows it too... and it's a part of life... that hopefully won't come for a long time."

Looking at her, Nick slumped back down onto the bed.

"As my husband... I will look out for his well being... and do as he asks. If the day comes and he asks to be changed... then I will do so, but if he wishes to die mortal... then I will sadly do as he wishes."

"I thought you couldn't do that? He ain't exactly human anymore."

"Maybe... he is still human, mortal, just with a different genetic code, it is possible to turn him... just not into a vampire, but an immortal man."

Nick shook his head. "I won't let you do that to him, even if you can. I'll be damned if anyone, even you, will damn his soul."

"Like I said Nick... I will only do that if he asks...." She turned and left the hallway, a frown on her face as she went downstairs.

Va'Shanna and John were sitting in silence and his head turned to look at her descending the staircase. As Angel descended the staircase, she pulled a small smile to her lips. V glanced at her, curious. She shook her head gently to V. Stepping off the stairs she went to John, hugging him gently.

V frowned a little bit, then excused herself to go upstairs, leaving John and Angel alone. Angel settled on the couch with a sigh.

"Didn't go well?" John guessed.

"Not at all... he wants to make sure that both of us know what we are getting ourselves into…"

John frowned, sighing as well. "That's Nick for you."

"About you still being mortal... and me being vampire..."

He looked at her. "It's the same thing between him and V."

She nodded softly, leaning against him.

"Heck, if Nick won't approve…we'll get married anyway."

She nodded softly. He squeezed her shoulder gently and smiled at her. "I love you and no one or thing will never change that."

She smiled at him, and leaned into him, closing her eyes. "I love you too."

He idly stroked her hair. "Angel Vari…I like the ring of that."

"Not Angel Vari…Kitrina Vari." She purred softly.

He grinned like a happy cat with cream. Angel smiled softly at the sight of him.

After a while, V came back downstairs with Nick. Angel settled her gaze on the floor. V leaned against the wall and folded her arms across her chest as Nick sat down in front of the two.

"I am happy for you both...it's just…a shock. Is all."

Angel nodded softly in response, mustering a small smile and an equally small "thank you."

"Just take care of him."

"I will, you know I will."

Nick nodded ever so slightly. Glancing momentarily at V, he grinned gently. "Yeah, but make sure we get invitations, huh?"

"You'll get invitations..."

"I promise." Angel smiled a bit more, leaning against John.

Nick nodded, falling quiet.

>And then we fall silent.< She smiled at V.

V smiled back at her, moving to sit beside Nick.

"So... V.. what's new with you two?"

"Oh about same old, same old."

>You know... I really wish for the wedding... that John could see me in the sun. Have a normal wedding...<

V nodded. >I can imagi--.< She stopped herself in mid thought and stood up, looking down at her boots, then Angel.

"V... what's wrong?" A brow rose as Angel looked up at her mother.

"Oh sweet Jes--" she started to say, then stopped herself at noticing John's frown. "Sweet Ireland," she corrected herself. "I'm a bumbling idiot!"

"V... what are you talking about?" Angel looked at Nick, John and then Va'Shanna again, slightly worried about her.

Nick looked at V, wondering the same thing before it dawned on him. "You didn't tell her, did you?" he guessed.

"No…I didn't." V looked at Angel.

"I…may have a way for you to…walk out in the sun," V said slowly, awkwardly.

Angel's eyes went wide and mouth open, lost for words. "H... how..?"

Slowly, V sat back down. "I had…gotten back in touch with a very old friend of mine who…told me something useful. It's not the greatest thing since you can't exactly run barefoot at the beach…but…um…" Her eyes dropped to the floor. "The dirt of your homeland can provide the means for you to walk in daylight. Outlining the bottom of your boots or shoes will do the trick. And also according to it, it's…supposed to give you a little more strength." V shook her head. "I didn't believe it at first…but instead of it being a myth…it works."

"You've.... walked in sunlight..?"

V nodded slowly. "For the first time in over five hundred years I felt the warmth of the sun and I needed not worry about imploding."

"Oh my god... " Angel fell silent as she looked at V.

V, for the first time in a while, felt not only ashamed, but was at a loss for words. She felt terrible for not informing her earlier.

Slowly a smile crossed Angel's lips. "V... does it have to be where I was born... or just from Ireland?"

"From where you were born. Dublin dirt."

Angel nodded softly. "How soon can I get some...?"

"If I make a call to Murdock I'm sure in less than two weeks."

"Please..." She smiled more.

Va'Shanna pushed herself up and moved towards the phone in the other room and made the call. Angel looked to John, a bright smile on her lips. John looked, at the moment, shocked at the news and blinked slowly at Angel, happy for her.

>John... the sun, you'll be able to see me in the sun!<

He looked over at her and hugged her tightly. >I'm so happy for you!<

Angel looked as if she were to cry, but didn't, she hugged John back, smiling brightly. He kissed her neck, grinning foolishly and widely. Angel looked up to see if V was back yet.

She came back seven minutes later and nodded to Angel. "He has to round up crates and head out two days from now."

Angel rose from the couch and went to V, hugging her sire gently. "Thank you, V."

Va'Shanna returned the hug. "I do what I can. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"It's okay... just tell me... what's it like.. being back in sunlight?"

"Too amazing for words," V admitted quietly.

Angel hugged Va'Shanna again.

"Hopefully one day I'll find a genius chemist who can cure me--us completely where we won't have to resort to lining our shoes with dirt."

Angel nodded to V's words, smiling softly. "Yes…"

Nick stood up. "Well, I suppose you can call that one of your early wedding gifts, huh?"

"Yeah... a big early wedding gift." She smiled at Nick as well, she felt like a kid at Christmas. "Thank you…"

V smiled at Angel as John slowly stood up. Still smiling at V, Angel said, "You need to help me pick out a dress..."

"Pay back for when I made you do the same thing, huh?" V grinned.

"No... more of... I didn't get a chance to help you... so you, as my mother, get to help me."

V smiled. "Thanks. We can drag the boys along as well."

Nick groaned audibly.

"Maybe Nick... but not John. Remember... the groom isn't suppose to see the dress!" Angel laughed softly as she looked at John lovingly.

He smiled back at her as Nick rolled his eyes. "You people are impossible."

"We're girls!" Angel smiled innocently.

"One of the many things I love about you Angel," John murmured, wrapping his arms around her.

She purred softly, leaning into his arms.

V looked at Nick and grinned at him. "Hmm. Looks like we're all gonna be a big, happy, family, huh?"

Angel smiled at them all, family... she would now have more than just Va'Shanna as family. For family, she'd now have a former priest werepanther and a 'psychotic' father and brother-in-law. Well... it was better then a dumbass childer who left her for her sire's sister.

V turned to Angel. "Well, whenever you decide to drag me along shopping," she smiled at Nick, "just call."