Disclaimer: see chapter 1

The air outside was crisp and cool. A gentle breeze whispered softly among the houses and down the street. The streetlamps shone dimly over the road, throwing a golden tinged glow over the scene. Everything was silent; sleeping.

Indy walked along quietly beside Marion; never once breaking the silence. He looked down at the woman next to him; her eyes on the road ahead. He considered her for a moment; she was amazing. He couldn't find the proper words to describe her and all she had done. She'd supported herself in a foreign land, put up with her father's journeys as well as his own, and risked her life avoiding the men who wanted them both gone. Then she left to raise her daughter where there wasn't much in the way of help to do much of anything. The one thing that still lingered in his mind was Why?

"Marion?" He asked.

"Hm?" She glanced at him, then back to the street.

"Why did you leave that day, when you knew that you could stay with me?"

Marion gave him a look. "I think you know why."

"Anna? I don't see how she would've prevented you from staying."

Marion sighed deeply. Now was the time she had been dreading since the moment she knew she would have to see him again; the time when she'd have to explain to him why she did what she did when she couldn't even explain it to herself. She stopped, and gazed up into those hazel eyes.

"I didn't want to hurt you," she said simply. Indy gave her a questioning look, and she went on. "I knew that if you knew, that you would give up all you do to stay with me, and stand by me, and I didn't want you to give up all that you love and care about." She sighed again, and continued forward, her dark hair falling into her face.

Indy slowed his pace some. "I wouldn't've turned into Abner; if that's what you were worried about; coming and going and dragging you where I would." He stood wher he was, leaning against one of the streetlamps. "Didn't you stop to think that my work isn't the only thing I love and care about?"

Marion stopped. Isn't? Not Wasn't? A glimmer of hope presented itself.

"It's just a job." Indy continued, turning up the side street toward the school. Marion followed, and they walked several blocks past it to Indy's little house. The place was small and isolated, set farther back from the road than the other houses on that street. It was a single story, two bedroom home with a big willow-type tree in the front yard. Green moss clung to the brick. The grass was green but unkempt, and looked as if it had been that way even before his and Anna's little adventure. It wasn't much, but it was his.

He unlocked the door, and the pair made their way inside. The living room was an organized mess, stacks of this here, piles of that over there, though it was still reasonably neat. The extra bedroom had been transformed into a study, complete with desk and small sofa. Books lined the shelves that completely filled the wall to the right of the window, which opened into a view of the back yard. The desk sat facing the shelves, and a large rolling chalkboard covered in scribbled notes sat behind it. On the inside wall were framed news articles that covered nearly the entire surface. The one remaining wall was stacked with boxes; probably filled with old artifacts and knick-knacks from his travels.

Indy cleared away some books and papers that rested on the little couch, and set them on the coffee table between the sofa and the window. "Um, sorry about the mess…If you'll follow me I can grab you some extra blankets."

She followed him into the bedroom, and watched as he dug some blankets from the top of his closet. After wrestling to get them dislodged from whatever else was up there, he handed them to her, and removed a pillow from his bed.

"That should keep you warm enough, but if you need more, just let me know; I'll be right in here." Indy stood there for a few seconds, unsure of what else to say. Marion looked at him expectantly, which only added to his discomfort.

"That's it?" She finally broke the awkward silence. "After all that's happened, not one 'are you sure you wouldn't rather have the bed? I don't mind the couch.'? I should've guessed that you're manners wouldn't have changed."

It took until then for Indy to realize what she had been talking about. He fought to find a decent comeback. He found none and settled for an excuse. "Bad back," was all he could think of. He mentally cursed himself, he didn't even believe that.

"Uh huh." Marion said, walking to the door into the hall.

"We can share!" Indy half-yelled. Women.

She turned, "Share what?"

Indy shoved a thumb in the direction of the bed. Marion's face then took on a look of mildly disgusted shock. Only then did Indy fully understand the implications of what he's just said. "What? Dammit Marion! That's not what I--"

She cocked her head to look down her nose at him, and casually sauntered over. "You stay on your side, I'll stay on mine." With that, she plopped the blankets on the foot of the bed and placed herself beneath the covers with her back toward him.

Indy rubbed the bridge of his nose; feeling like a complete idiot. He lay down in his side, not even bothering to change. It was only moments before they were both asleep.

The next morning Indy woke to find a woman tucked neatly against him. His mind was foggy, and he couldn't quite remember where she had come from. They were both fully clothed, so that eliminated any of those possibilities. In fact, they weren't even in night-clothes; they were both still fully dressed. He recognized the way she felt in his arms, the way her slight form fit so perfectly. Then he remembered her. The previous day returned to his mind easily. He laughed inwardly as he recalled the last thing she said that night, "You stay on your side, I'll stay on mine." Yeah, right. He lifted his head slightly to see the clock on the nightstand. It was nearly eleven o'clock. At least it was Saturday. He carefully extracted himself from the bed without waking her, and moved into the other room.

Marion was roused from her sleep by the smell of food taunting her. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. The sun was gleaming through the open window; dogs barking, kids laughing, and cars driving by could all be heard. Indy walked in carrying a tray with a plate of food on it.

"Everything I had went bad while I was away. Nothing edible left in the place. A quick trip to the corner store fixed that." Indy put the tray on the bed, and left to retrieve his own plate.

Marion examined her intended meal; fluffy scrambled eggs and several strips of bacon, and some toast with jam and a glass of milk. "I see you've learned to cook since I last saw you."

"Keeps me from starving." He sat down on the corner of the bed and began eating.

Marion sighed. So much had happened to her in so short of a time. It was nice to have a breather from it all. "Where do we go from here? Huh?"

Indy shrugged. "Well, for starters, I'll make an honest woman of you," he said between bites.

Marion choked on her drink. Did she hear that correctly? A proposal? "I'm sorry—what?" She had to ask.

"You heard me. Marry me." He said as if this were simply casual small talk.

She blinked. This was entirely unexpected. She tried to make sense of what was going on. After she had left him, and hadn't contacted him in nearly twenty years and even raised their child who he hadn't known existed, then through a series of horribly inconvenient coincidences he met this child under the most absurd of circumstances, and still hadn't talked to Marion until yesterday, and now he wanted to marry her? Fine by me.

"Alright, sure." She said, taking a bite out of her toast. "Why not?"

Indy only responded with a satisfied grunt. Marion wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Are you sure you really want a life with me?" She asked him, wearing a cocky smile.

"Life with you?" He pondered this thought. "I wouldn't trade it for the world."

FIN

Well, there it is! Thank you so much to iccle fairy, Kipling Nori, Kippling Croft, FeiriesMidwife, OperaCountess, hansolofan, The Jedi Princess, and Blairbarella for your reviews! If not for you guys I may not have kept it up! And a big thank you too, to TavingtonLivesOn, Psycho8, Aoife Tiernay and other aforementioned people who put my story on your favorites list.

Please, please, please let me know what you thought of it, and whether or not you would like to see a sequel!

I sincerely hope you thoroughly enjoyed it, and I dearly hope to hear from each and every person who actually read through the entire thing! Once again, REVIEW!! PLEASE!! Let me know if you'd all like to see more of Anna and the wonderful Indiana, as well as Marion and the rest of the gang!

Hope to hear from you guys soon!

Alexis Seven