"Victoria what's wrong?" Derek asked as he shakily dropped his arm with the ring in it. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked as fear began to eat at him from the inside out only to pause when she noticed tears in her eyes, softly sliding down her cheeks.

Her body shook slightly from the silent crying she was going through, almost as though she was in pain.

"Victoria, why are you... Does it hurt somewhere?" He asked as he dropped the box to the bed and sat beside her, enveloping her in his embrace. "Tell me where it hurts okay?"

"...my heart." She whispered as she covered her face in her palms, crying into them.

"Let me help you heal it then." Derek whispered as his own heart sunk at the amount of pity she held in. "Let me take away the pain."

"Why do you love me?" She asked as she pulled away and glared at him, but even with her tears on her face, she couldn't look angry, just sad. "What's so special about me that you like? I've never even... Done or said anything to attract your attention." She said as she wiped her tears. "Why?"

"Because you're you." He said as he reached out and held her hand. "You didn't try to impress me and I fell in love with the real you. I love every little thing about you Victoria. So please spend eternity with me." He begged as he stared into her tormented eyes, wondering what it was she wasn't telling him.

"...mm.." She looked away just so she wouldn't gaze into his eyes.

"Victoria you can't hide from me. I know something's bothering you. Come on, tell me." He begged and she bit on her lower lip as tears surfaced her eyes once more. He sighed, knowing she probably wasn't ready. "I won't force you." He said and pulled her hand closer to him, until it was lying flat on his chest on the left side. "But just know if you can feel my heart, its been beating for you the moment we met. Since the very first day, I had a feeling we would end up like this, but I brushed it away and didn't want to believe it. I guess I failed on my own word." He said and she covered her face with her over hand, crying into it. "Even if you do not say yes to me. If we end up walking different paths, I'll still love you, and you'll always feel my heartbeat in your hands so you never stop thinking about me. Before you leave me, I'll make sure to leave a burning mark in your mind, making me the only memory you can remember. So even after twenty years, you come back and confess your love to me, I will marry you then." He said then reached his other hand to lift her face towards him. She hesitantly looked up at him. "You don't have to answer me. I'll wait for it. Even when we're apart, I'll keep my ears open."

"I hate you so much." She sniffed as she wiped her tears and hugged him to her chest, feeling her heart lifted from her chest. "I hate you so much Derek..."

"I know." He chuckled as he kissed her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Spend tonight with me."

"Okay." She whispered as he began kissing her neck, leaving tingles where he left that she was defenseless to.

He got up from the bed and laid her back down to it, holding her back to him, enjoying the warmth of her body under him. She moaned out as he nibbled on her skin, letting himself take her for the last time.

His eyes flashed open at the sound of two babies crying as loud as they could. He lazily sat up and glanced to his side, watching as Victoria slept heavily in her blanket. He sighed and swung his feet off the bed, yawning in the process as he stretched himself.

Glancing at the time on the clock by the door, it read 4:50am.

So early.

He sighed and stood up from his bed, walking out the bedroom door and into Victoria's room where the screams were even louder and ear piercing.

He yawned again, feeling his eyes and head as heavy as a hammer as he walked to the two cradle's.

Lilith instantly stopped once she saw her father at the foot of her cradle. She reached out her hands for him to carry her and he did. He checked her diaper and it was perfectly fine. He placed her down and turned to Ariel who cried and tried to reach for him.

She cried even in his arms as he checked her diaper.

Yep. Found the source of the problem.

He turned to the bathroom where a small plastic changing table was installed. He laid her down and carefully removed her jumper, making sure not to make her cry any further.

After changing her completely, she still cried as loud as she could. He shut his eyes for a moment as sleep ate at him dangerously before he was forced awake when the bathroom door opened.

"I thought you took care of it." Victoria yawned as she stepped into the bathroom. "Oh Ariel again."

"I think she's hungry." He said as he picked her off the changing table and turned to Victoria who carried her off his hands in seconds. "I'll get to bed."

"Lilith won't sleep." Victoria said as she followed behind. "I think she wants attention."

"I have work, I can't... Okay." He sighed as he walked to Lilith who blinked at him once he was in view and held out her hands.

He picked her out of the cradle and walked towards the bed, where he lay her next to where he would sleep. After he got under the blanket, Lilith shut her eyes and cuddled next to him. He smiled and shut his eyes.

Victoria sighed as she breastfed Ariel who had stopped crying. She sat on the edge of the bed and bit on her lower lip as she glanced at Derek and Lilith, all asleep.

Her thoughts later shifted to the question he wants her to answer.

Whether or not she will stay, and it was today she had to answer. In just a few hours.

She sighed and turned back to Ariel who had now fallen asleep in her arms. She got up from the bed laid her next to her sister on the bed before getting in herself.

She stared at Derek for a moment, noticing how he protectively wrapped Lilith in his arms, like she was his last drop of water in a never ending desert.

Yawning for the last time, she shut her eyes and let her sleep drift her off.