How We Got Here

Always

  "For the last time, Basil, I am not proposing to my boyfriend in an IHOP!" Sabrina yelled at her brother. 

 "It was just an idea; you guys do spend all your time there," he defended.

 "We wouldn't if Puck didn't need bacon constantly shoved in his face," she said, smiling. 

 "Your location is perfect," Daphne told her sister, "as long as everything goes to plan."

 "Knowing Puck, the plan will probably get thrown out the window," Red said from the book covered couch. "Even after we all came to Ferryport Landing for it."

 "You guys!" Pinocchio ran into the Grimm house living room. "Puck just pulled into the driveway!"

 There was a crash of metal against metal from outside.

 "And he may have damaged some property," Pinocchio added.

 The four of them rushed outside to the front yard, where Sabrina's car had its front bumper lodged in the mailbox.

 "There goes the paint job," Sabrina grunted as the red sedan pulled away from the mailbox with a screech and parked crookedly in front of the yard. Puck stepped out of it holding two paper bags.

 "Oops." He grimaced. "I got takeout. Where we going for date night?"

 "Yeah, you're not driving my car again until you get your license."

  Puck looked confused. "It was just around the block, and you said you wanted tacos."

 "As for date night, the location is a surprise," she continued.

 "What are you planning?" Puck whispered as she grabbed him by one hand and led him towards the forest. 

 After several minutes of walking, the couple was engulfed in the darkness of the trees.

 "You wanna help us out with some light?" Sabrina nudged her boyfriend. He obliged and pulled out his flute to summon a few dozen golden pixies. The pixies led them down an overgrown path Sabrina and the others had scouted out earlier. Then he played the melody of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," for good measure. She smacked his shoulder. He stopped.

 "Are you taking me out here to murder me or something, Grimm?" Puck joked. She smiled. They kept walking hand in hand. 

 Sabrina tried to keep her hands from shaking. She reached into her coat pocket and felt the tiny velvet box, hoping it would calm her down. It didn't. What if he said no? Worse, what if he didn't even know what a proposal was? No, that was impossible; Daphne had shown him every single Hallmark rom-com ever made. They had even lightly broached the subject in conversation, but she could never tell if he was just amused by the fact that they were the only couple in their friend group which had seen a future in which they were married and fighting dragons in a chicken-legged house. Was it too soon? Was he not ready? All she could do was walk and hope.

 "Ugh. Are we there yet?" Puck groaned. "I'm hungry."

 "We're here," Sabrina said. They rounded a bend in the path and came to a rusty gate. Above it was a metal sign that read, "Duncan's Junkyard." Beyond the gate was a clearing filled with piles of old refrigerators, scrap metal, and furniture pieces.

 "Charming place for a picnic," Puck said. "I mean, for me. For you it's a little dirty, don't ya think?"

 "This is just our first stop." Sabrina grinned and unlocked the gate with a set of keys she'd gotten from Mr. Duncan earlier. They stepped through.  

 "What is all this?" Puck asked in awe of the soft green lanterns strung around the border of the junkyard and the colorful shards of glass strewn on the path leading out of it. The light glinted off them and made the place look enchanted.

 "Do you remember this place, Puck?" she asked him.

 "Is it something other than the forest I've saved your butt in millions of times?"

 "Yeah, but it's changed a lot. Mr. Duncan only turned it into a junkyard a couple years ago, but before that it was just a clearing where people dumped their radiators and stuff," Sabrina explained.

 Puck looked at her blankly.

 "Let's just keep going," she said, getting excited.

 They walked for a few more minutes and she pulled him to an edge of the forest, where a worn fence stood. She opened it.

 Sabrina had gotten permission from the city to access the backyard to the long abandoned house, and then gotten help from Mustardseed, Red, Daphne, and Basil to decorate it (they'd kicked Pinocchio out after he'd gotten too bossy). They'd swept the porch, washed the deck, and attached flower bouquets to the inside of the gate. They'd also refilled the old swimming pool with clear blue water and set lotuses afloat in it.

 Now, all of Puck's pixies flew above their heads and hovered over the pool, casting almost heavenly light upon the faces of Red, Mr. Canis, Pinocchio, Basil, Daphne, Veronica and Henry Grimm, Titania, and Mustardseed. They were all grinning, even Titania.

 "Wait...Grimm, is this where I think it is?" Puck asked quietly.

 "Puck," Sabrina started, stepping in front of him, His eyes were a bright gold, but she couldn't tell if that was him or the pixies' light. "Fourteen years ago my sister and I were taken to that clearing back there, where we met the most insufferable boy ever. He tried to drown me. Seriously, he was super annoying."

 "Good times." Puck laughed, but he stopped abruptly when Sabrina knelt to one knee. "Whatcha doin', Grimm?"

 Sabrina kept going, because she knew if she'd stop she'd cry. "And to be honest, that hasn't changed. The only thing that did change is the fact that I realized I wanted to be annoyed by him for the rest of my life." With shaking hands, she pulled the ring box out of her pocket and opened it up. The simple wedding band shone in the pixie light. "So, Mr. Goodfellow, will you marry"--

 Before Sabrina could finish, Puck tackled her in a hug. He kissed her on the cheek, on her forehead, and on her lips. "Oh, this is so much better than hitting someone with a club and taking them back to your cave!"

 Sabrina laughed, but pushed him away. "Okay, but you need to answer me, Puck!"

 "Only if you answer me!" Puck grinned, pulling out a wooden box the same size as the one Sabrina was holding. Inside it was a crude wedding ring made of wood and vines. She figured magic had been involved. She turned to Titania.

 "I had no idea he had anything planned!" Titania exclaimed.

 "I was gonna ask you next week," Puck admitted. "Although I didn't have anything this elaborate planned."

 "I'm so sorry!" said Sabrina. "You can still ask me however you wanted to."

 "No, now's fine," Puck said. "I guess I already know your answer, anyway." He pulled her close and she rested her forehead against his.

 "Even though it's a really ugly ring, I will wear it with pride," Sabrina teased. She took the ring from its box and put it on. Puck gasped in offense.

 "Being lovingly crafted from my own two hands isn't good enough for you?" he cried. The two continued to argue about it as the others congratulated them and brought out food for the celebration. 

 As the others all crowded around a table of food, Puck and Sabrina stayed next to the pool for a second. Sabrina turned her teasing off and leaned in to whisper, "I love you a lot."

 "And I love you a lot too," Puck muttered. "Always have, always will." The two shared another kiss, but Puck was grinning when he broke away. "So you know why I have to do this."

 Sabrina didn't even have time to be angry after she realized what he meant; he had already shoved her into the deep end of the pool with a splash.

 Sabrina emerged, soaking wet, to hear the laughter of all her friends. She shook her fist at her new fiancé, but only half meant it. Soon, she had grabbed him by the leg and pulled him in with her. The rest of the night was a blur of laughter, tears, and love.