Arrows of Acid

Chapter 37

Months later, Noah takes Ashalee hiking up to the same spot where he had his vision quest. She is feeling fine and dandy, while he must take it a bit slower, being as he hasn't quite healed from his injuries as quickly as she has. She teases him good-naturedly as she waits for him to catch up with her.

"Come on, slow poke!" she calls merrily over her shoulder. "Do I need to carry your pack too?"

"Yeah, yeah..." he calls after her, laughing.

"Hey, Rio offered to heal you too," she said. Noah shrugged a shoulder.

"I know. I like it this way, feeling the pain. Makes me feel alive," he said dramatically. She laughed again, music to Noah's ears.

They finally crested the top of the mountain, the early Autumn sun casting a romantic glow over everything. They paused at the top to survey the scene, and so Noah could catch his breath. They stood side by side, Noah with an arm around Ashalee's shoulders.

He was so glad they had made it to the top before the sun had a chance to peak over the horizon. He wanted to do this at sunrise.

"Oh, Noah. The fall colors are unbelievable!" she said in amazement. He just nodded his agreement as he surveyed the land as well. He pointed out to her where he saw the goat demon come toward him and fall through, as well as where the hole swallowed him up. She listened with interest. He gestured far off in the distance at (?) and told her a story of (?) while he fumbled in his pocket with his free hand. She listened intently, keeping her eyes on the place he pointed out.

After all he had been through in the past few months, nothing scared him more than what he was about to do next. The hand in his pocket closed around the little box he had placed there before they had ascended the mountain. He wrapped up and slowly turned her to face him. She looked so beautiful with the sun making her skin glow and her bright eyes full of love. He winced as he dropped to one knee before her and her joyful face slackened into astonished shock at the same time as she recognized what he was about to do.

"Ashalee Honeycutt, will you do me the highest honor and spend the rest of your life with me?" he opened the box in his hand and offered it to her, keeping his eyes steady on hers. A single tear slid down her cheek as she peered at the ring.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, and he laughed in relief. He stood up and they embraced. He slid the ring on her finger, and she admired it. She shook her head in disbelief.

"Unreal." She murmured.

"You've made me the happiest man on earth," Noah said kissing the side of her head.

"Aww, baby, you're so sweet. Actually, I'm really happy that you asked..." Ashalee said, turning to fully face him. "Because I'm pregnant."

Now it was his turn for his face to go slack. They stared at each other for a few moments, Asha in hopeful expectation, and Noah simply flabbergasted. She had never looked so stunning to him than she did in this moment, the morning sun reflecting off her breath-taking face, so beautiful he almost cried. Then one side of his mouth curled up in the beginnings of a smile. He grabbed her up in a bear hug.

"I thought..." he didn't even know how to begin. She spared him. She pulled his face to hers and kissed him.

"I know, I thought I couldn't either! But then I got to thinking about how Rio healed my wounds from that day, his powers must have healed that part of me too!"

Noah was beside himself with glee. He held her close to him again, breathing her in deeply.

"This is the best fuckin' day of my life," he whispered in her ear.

"Mine too, baby. Mine too."

They spent the rest of the day and a joyful night camping up there in their cozy tent, drinking wine (that Noah had packed in optimistically) over the campfire to celebrate and making love under the clearest blanket of stars that Ashalee had ever seen in her life.

"I can't wait to tell my parents," Asha murmured later as they lay spooning in their tent.

"Oh man, your dad's gonna kill me," Noah said. Ashalee chuckled and playfully hit him with a pillow. They fell asleep with their hearts full, and with Noah's hand resting on Asha's belly.

"Asha's pregnant!" Noah exclaimed to Rio. It was the next day, and they were up on Noah's rooftop again.

"Wow! Who's the father?" Rio joked. Noah chucked him on the shoulder good-naturedly. "Seriously, man. Congratulations. And you're welcome."

"Oh my God, yes, THANK YOU! This is the best thing that's ever happened to me!"

"I had some help from above, but yes, my healing powers aren't bullshit." Noah sat and looked at his friend with so much love he thought his heart would burst.

"Thank you, my brother," Noah said reverently.

"You're welcome. Be blessed. See ya at the office!" Rio said, jumping off the roof and flying away. Noah watched his silhouette cross the sunset; a sunset so brilliant he caught himself blinking tears out of his eyes.

A few weeks later, Noah and Ash found themselves at the doctor's office at a routine ultrasound appointment, Ashalee's shirt pulled up to reveal her growing belly. The technician spread the cold jelly on her stomach and rubbed the wand around in it, searching for the best picture.

"Ah!" The technician cried. "Lookie there!"

Noah crowded closer and Ashalee craned her neck to get a better glimpse of the monitor.

The only thing that could make this moment any happier, which in a few seconds it did, was if they were expecting twins, which they were.