Second Chances and Nightmares

I Will Always Choose You

They pulled in a parking spot . Ray looks up at the bridge over crossing the street that she had climbed many times. "Are we playing clown risk?"

"Something like that!" Ursula reassured. "Wait what? And I wore this?! Why did you let me wear this?!" She says immediately starting to pace, just getting out of the club.

"Will you calm the yuck down Ray!? It's not what you think. I promise I'm not ever going to put you in a bad situation! You believe that right?"

"Yeah of course!"

"Alright Cups, Go on up!"

"Alone?" Ray said, looking up into the dark.

"Don't worry Ray. Chatty's waiting at the top!"

"Oh okay!"

Ray begins her ascend up to the bridge. Chatterbox watches closely like always...like she's something he can't afford to loose, except now, he knows that feeling all to well Quietly he whispers to himself, *All I can do is pray to yuck she doesn't fall this time"

As she steps over the top, she hears Chatterbox's sigh of "Thank Yuck"
Her eyes widen as she sees a table, A bottle of wine. And two small chairs and small candles lighting the path of the bridge.

"Chatty? What is all this?"

"This is me, doing this the right yuckin' way cups! The way it should have been done all along the first time. No choices between anyone, no scavenger hunt, Just you and me, Choosing each other."

"Chatty....I..."

"Wait Ray, Lemme get this out please?..... I was going to wait till later, but i've waited long enough!"

Ray Mond gasps as Chatterbox takes a knee ... .then a look of defeat crosses her face as he stands back up, realizing if Ray was under pressure and she got off balance she could fall.

"Come take a seat my queen, you look beautiful by the way."

The voice coming from her king was one she'd heard once, with words being released she wished to never hear again.

"Look at you always taking care of me!"

Chatterbox removes his mask as he takes Ray Mond's hand.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He takes a knee once more. "I kneel to no obstacle or man, yuck, I refuse to even kneel to death, but for you my queen I will kneel over and over, if I get to have you forever.

"You are the piece that has always been missing, My twin flame, when I first met you I wanted to kill you, I'm sure you remember;I found your ID you found out that I had it you got me stabbed I was mad I started calling you threatening to kill you then it got us...us doing th..this game on a bridge which you Yuckin won. and it got me to leave you alone.

Then you called me, and got me to bid on you...at this stupid dating auction...

You were #17 at the auction and we bid for the highest amount of money out of everybody.

I'm gonna be honest, the goal was to ruin your life

And then within an hour of that day you changed mine

I look at all gang members the same always and always thought I would, then you, you show up and you got to have this energy. This light to you. It's like you're always glowing all the time. I grew up with these idiots of clowns then you come in and put them all to shame, within an hour, of doing a task that I tell you to do! I felt like I started drowning. because I didn't want to look at you like that, I originally didn't want to, and I started drowning in it. Then we just. started being friends and then you'd, call, and talk to me, and invite me over to your thinkin spot, and I've..I've never been so interested, I never cared about stuff, I never want to just stand around and talk and then...you..you just you started showing me things about myself that I never knew were there. Then you just accept me for who I was, the more I stood there and I listened the more I started to see that, we were, about the same

You were around the clowns every yuckin' day almost, and I got to where I wanted more time for it to be alone with you, just us. I was no longer afraid of your touch, your hugs, I was no longer afraid to love.

Then I told you I loved you, and my heart was so full, I thought it couldn't get any better until that day on the beach when you said it back, for the 2nd time and you actually let me yuckin' remember it, and I was over the yuckin' moon.

Ray Mond, You're the love of my life, that I've been searching for for so long. If you'll yuckin' put up with me, I would love to move forward, and make you my wife."

Tears are now streaming from both their eyes, Chatterbox has pulled the ring from his pocket and with shaky hands is holding it open, anxiously waiting for what feels like forever....

"Chatty! I have to be honest, I never thought I would find you. I thought I would forever be just a grinder wandering alone. You also were also an unexpected surprise, but admittedly, from day one you swept me off my feet."

Chatterbox sits the ring down on the table to grasp his queen's other trembling hand.

"When you were stalking me, and trying to kill me. It was the most fun I've had in a long time, but when I really though, "I'm fucked" was the day I met you in the mines. You knew me, and that scared me more than you trying to kill me.

You've always made me feel safe, Chatty. You always keep me in your sites, when I run my crazy circles, and don't smile like that. I pay attention!" Ray Laughed

"You even made me feel safe when I wasn't myself for a time, you worked so hard to make me remember, and I will be forever grateful to you. "

Raymond sighs, trying to gather her words.

"All I know, Chatty, is that you've taught me what love truly is, even though you thought you couldn't love. You love the hardest by your actions and your care..."

"I would give my life for you, Ray."

"I know you would Chatty, and for that I give you mine!"

"Really, Cups!?"

Wiping tears from her face as she stands, her king carefully joins her.

"Do you really think after all we've been through, I would joke about something like this?"

"I don't but I mean you are a clown!"

"This is true."

Chatterbox slips the ring on Ray's finger. "It's beautiful Chatty! I love it!"

Chatterbox wipes remaining tears from His queen's face, pulling her closer to him.

"I'm glad you love it."

He kisses her lips softly, "I love you Cups!"

"I love you too, Chatty. Forever."

"You truly are my twin flame, You've taught me how to burn brighter than I imagined and before you, I never even flickered."

"Yes you did Chatty! You just needed someone to remove all the darkness first for you to see the flame. It's always been there. That's why we always come back here."

"What do you mean here? Cups?"

"To each other, and now we'll know for all time we'll choose each other over and over always, and I wouldn't have it any other way!"

Chatterbox kisses her once more, placing his arm around her waist pulling her into him.

"I wouldn't dream of choosing any one else, It's always been you Cups. Even before I knew you."

"I would have always chose you too Chatty!"