Slowing down, Joe leaned to his right, turning into a well-hidden and little known overlook with a breathtaking view of the ocean. He and Vanessa had discovered the oft-ignored turn-off early on in their relationship. Joe smiled thinking of all the times they had come here to celebrate, to talk, to argue…to simply be grateful they had found each other. They hadn’t shared their discovery with anyone and it quickly became their own special place marking some of the most important occasions in their lives together. There had been no question in Joe’s mind that he would bring Vanessa here tonight, for what would be the most important decision they’d ever make.

Continuing on a few more yards, Joe finally coasted to a stop at their favorite spot. Completely isolated from the road, the grassy clearing near the cliff’s edge was hidden from prying eyes by a stand of trees, yet offered a breathtaking view of the Atlantic Ocean. The bright moonlight shimmered on the dark waters of the ocean. The unseen waves that could be heard crashing onto the beach below contrasted with the calm stillness of the deeper water.

Turning off the engine, Joe lowered the kickstand, taking a moment to gaze at the spectacular view that never failed to take his breath away. Reaching up, he unsnapped the chinstrap and removed his helmet, letting it dangle from one of the handlebars. Taking Vanessa’s helmet, which had appeared over his shoulder, he placed it on the other handle bar.

Swinging one leg over, Joe dismounted the bike and offered his hand to Vanessa, steadying her while she did the exact same move. Running a hand through his blonde hair, Joe smiled as he watched Vanessa slowly walk to the edge of the cliffs, while absentmindedly shaking out her long ash-blonde hair. It was always the first thing she did when they came here – taking a moment alone to get lost in the beauty of this place. Knowing Vanessa would be caught up in the spectacular view, Joe popped the seat up and pulled out a blanket that had been stored in the compartment underneath it. After spreading the blanket on the ground next to Vanessa, Joe walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. She responded to his touch instantly, leaning back against him, threading her fingers through his.

As Vanessa stared out at the water, Joe stared at her. Although the view from the cliffs was striking, Joe was certain that at that moment his view was infinitely more beautiful than hers.

Vanessa sighed contentedly and leaned against Joe, snuggling deep into his arms. She didn’t think life could get any better than this and hoped that one day Frank and Callie could find their way back to it, too.

"Happy?" Joe asked.

"Very happy." Vanessa smiled up at him, tilting her head back invitingly.

"Me too." Joe agreed, kissing her softly.

Pulling away, Joe felt his pulse quicken. Even though he was absolutely certain of what he was about to do, he was still nervous. Turning in his arms, Vanessa initiated a lengthy kiss of her own, causing Joe’s heart to race even faster.

Reluctantly breaking apart, Vanessa rested her head on Joe’s shoulder. She would have been content to stay right there in Joe’s arms for the rest of the night. Their time alone together had been almost nonexistent lately. As much as she wanted to shut out the world and it’s problems, she knew Joe had brought her here for a reason tonight and she thought it might have something to do with Frank. Although he was recovering nicely, Joe was still worried about him and often turned to Vanessa to voice those concerns.

After his release from the hospital the previous week, Frank had returned to his parents house, at Laura’s insistence, to recuperate, rather than going back to his apartment at school. Since he had not been cleared to return to classes yet, Laura saw no reason for him to return to his apartment alone. As a result, Joe had taken to sleeping in his bedroom at home, rather than his dorm room.

Frank was getting better but still needed help from time to time. Knowing Frank wouldn’t necessarily ask for help, Joe wanted to be close by so he could keep an eye on Frank, offering assistance before Frank was forced to ask for it. Joe was spending most of his time outside of classes with Frank, leaving little time for he and Vanessa. However, she was completely supportive of Joe, understanding that in addition to the physical injuries Frank had sustained, he was also dealing with deep emotional and psychological wounds as well. She could see for herself the time the brothers spent together was going a long way towards healing the tears in their relationship and only hoped that eventually Frank and Callie could do the same thing.

"So what’s on your mind?" Vanessa asked, finally lifting her head and looking at Joe.

"I’m that obvious, huh?" Joe laughed nervously.

"No. I just know you very well."

"Yes, you do." Joe agreed. "And there is something I want to talk to you about." Stepping back slightly, he took Vanessa’s hands in his, gathering his thoughts – and his nerve.

"Everything that’s happened the past few months has really made me stop and think. Last summer, when I was recovering you were there for me every day. You should have been out with your friends, having fun, but you gave it all up to help me." Joe said, recalling what had to be the worst summer of his life.

"I was exactly where I wanted to be." Vanessa assured him.

"I know I told you every day not to waste your summer vacation stuck inside with me, but I’m glad you didn’t listen. Just having you there made it all a little easier. Not just my physical recovery, but everything. Especially Frank’s schizophrenic personality changes." Joe shook his head. He and Frank were close once again, but the painful memories would be with him for a long time to come.

"I love you, Joe. I would never let you go through that alone."

"I love you, too Baby." Joe replied, stealing a kiss, before continuing. "When we went back to the Pine Barrens and I thought you died…" Joe stopped, almost choking on the word. "That was the worst moment of my life. I couldn’t imagine living for one second without you, let alone my whole life. More than anything, it made me see how quickly everything can change. Things that we should cherish, we take for granted, assuming they’ll always be there. We think we have all the time in the world. We can put everything off until later, when it’s more convenient. I don’t want to do that anymore, Van. Because sometimes later is too late." Out of the blue, Joe thought of Frank and how he had waited months and months to finally confront he and Callie. He wondered if Frank and Callie would still be together had Frank dealt with his misguided suspicions sooner rather than later.

"Are you talking in generalities or about something specific?" Vanessa asked, slightly concerned that Joe had suddenly become so serious.

"Not something – someone. You." Joe replied, softly. "You saved my life, Vanessa. And I’m not talking about Nash. You saved me from me. When we met I wasn’t living, I was existing. And most of the time I was existing on the edge." Joe flashed back to the months after Iola Morton had died. He’d become wild and reckless, with little, if any, regard for his own personal safety. It took some time, but falling in love with Vanessa had reigned in the almost burning need Joe felt to continuously put himself in danger.

"There were so many times you could have given up on me and walked out, but you never did. You stuck by me no matter what. You’ve always believed in me and supported me, even when you didn’t always agree with me. And you’ve always, always loved me."

"Always." Vanessa agreed, having trouble getting the word out over the lump in her throat.

"And I’ve always taken it for granted. I’ve taken you for granted and I won’t do that anymore." Joe took Vanessa’s hands in both of his and held them tightly, in part to keep his own hands from shaking. "I love you, Vanessa. Right now I can’t give you anything to symbolize that other than my heart, so I hope that’s enough."

Never letting go of Vanessa’s hands, Joe dropped down onto one knee. Looking up into her eyes, which were now brimming with tears, Joe was never more sure of anything in his life. "You’re my best friend, my lover, my soul mate. And I’d like you to be my wife. Vanessa, will you marry me?"

For one brief second, Vanessa felt as if the world had stopped. She had known long ago that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Joe. While she thought he had come to the same conclusion, she also thought it would take him a very long time to act on that revelation. Assuming he wouldn’t want to make this commitment for several more years, his unexpected proposal caught her completely off guard, but she recovered rather quickly.

"Yes." She looked down at Joe, smiling despite the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. "Yes! Yes! YES! I will marry you!" She cried out, happily. Turning back to look out over the cliffs, Vanessa announced her decision yet again.. "Do you hear that, Bayport?!" She yelled out over the sounds of the crashing waves. "Joe Hardy asked me to marry him and I said YES! YES!!"

Laughing with both amusement and relief, Joe pulled Vanessa back to him. "Uh, would that be a yes?" he asked mischievously.

"I don’t know, let me think about it." Vanessa replied teasingly before Joe silenced her with a kiss.

Separating only slightly, Joe’s smile dropped a little. "There’s just one little problem I ran into."

"What problem?" Vanessa asked confused.

"I…I don’t have a ring for you. God knows you deserve one – the biggest diamond ever made. But I couldn’t even afford a rhinestone right now. I’m sorry." Joe apologized, glad that the darkness hid his embarrassed flush.

Vanessa reached out and stroked his cheek, touched by his confession. "I don’t need a ring, Joe. All I need is you." She replied softly.

‘Same thing Frank said!’ Joe chuckled to himself. "But you deserve one. And I’ll get you one, I promise! It’s just that with the new car, tuition, student loans when we graduate next year..." Joe sighed, dejectedly. "I just don’t know when that will be."

"It doesn’t matter. You just gave me your heart – forever. No ring in the world can top that."

As Vanessa spoke, Joe stared deeply into her eyes. Lifting her left hand, Joe slowly brought it to his lips and softly kissed her ring finger, never breaking the intense gaze they shared. Pulling Vanessa closer, Joe kissed her with an intensity he’d never felt before. Losing themselves in the passion inspired by their newfound commitment, they slid down onto the blanket, still wrapped in each others arms.

*****

Vanessa handed Joe the neatly folded blanket and watched as he returned it to the small storage compartment. Sidling up behind him, she wrapped her arms around him and leaned her cheek against his back.

"So who should we tell first?" She asked, grinning happily.

"I think you already told the whole town." Joe reminded her with a laugh.

"Just in case my announcement was drowned out by the waves," she laughed, "who gets to be the first to hear the good news?"

Joe hesitated, knowing they should probably tell Andrea first, then Fenton and Laura. Twisting around to face his fiancée, Joe tried to gauge what her reaction might be to his answer. From anyone else, it might seem a bizarre request, causing Joe to wonder if he should really voice it. As he battled with himself, Vanessa made the decision for him.

"How about Frank?" She suggested, knowing Joe would want his older brother to be the first to know.

Joe shook his head with a smile, reminded of exactly why he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Vanessa. "You read my mind."

Retrieving the helmets, the newly engaged couple climbed on the motorcycle.