| Jeremy walked into the newsroom looking nervous as all hell. Dan, who was often the first to notice such things, headed over to him. �Jeremy, what�s up?� �What?� He jumped a mile. �Why are you edgier than Dana this morning?� �I just�� He paused a moment, then motioned for Dan to follow him to his desk. Reaching into the bottom drawer, he pulled out something from the back, then showed it to Dan: A black velvet jewelry box containing a beautiful, elegant, diamond ring in a silver setting. �Wow, man�for Natalie?� �Yeah,� he said quietly. �We�re having dinner tonight, and I�m �well, I�m gonna ask her.� �She�s gonna say yes.� �I hope so.� �Trust me. She�s gonna say yes.� Jeremy looked slightly more relaxed. �Good. I just have to be sure NOTHING ruins this dinner tonight.� �Don�t worry about it. Just relax.� �I can�t.� �Go figure.� Meanwhile, Natalie was sitting, looking nervous, in Dana�s office. Dana was trying desperately to get work done, but she was also too intrigued to not listen. �Jeremy�s been acting very strange lately,� Natalie pointed out. �Yes.� �He looks nervous any time he sees me, he�s edgy�something�s going on with him.� �Probably not.� �What if he wants to break up with me and is trying to figure out how to do it?� �Why would he want to break up with you?� �I don�t know, but what if he is?� �Natalie, do his eyes light up whenever you walk in the room?� �Yeah, but-� �Does he still flirt with you every chance he gets?� �He tries.� �Then don�t worry about it.� �Really?� �Yes.� �Okay.� ~*~*~*~ �Uh-oh,� Casey said, staring out the window. �Uh-oh what?� Dan asked, not looking up from the computer keyboard. �It�s snowing.� �We live up north, Casey, it does that from time to time during the winter.� �It�s snowing very hard.� �It also does that during the winter.� �Dan, look outside.� �Where?� �Uh, Dan?� �I mean where is the outside?� �So you understand my point.� �I understand it�s snowing hard enough that I can�t see outside, if that�s the point.� �It is.� �Then I see your point.� At the same time that discussion was going on in Dan and Casey�s office, Natalie and Dana were having a similar conversation just a few feet away in the newsroom. �It�s a white-out,� Dana stated. �Yeah.� �And let�s just hope that the white-out which is out there doesn�t cause a black-out in here.� �Exactly.� �Since that would sorta inhibit our ability to create and produce our television show.� �Right.� As if on a cue directed by the evil Thespis, the lights suddenly went out. The darkness was greeted by shrieks from many of the staff members. �Jeremy, if you so much as TOUCHED any of the �� �Dana, I was sitting at my desk the whole time,� he replied, sounding as though he was in a very bad mood, which he was. If the power didn�t come back on, he was in danger of his dinner with Natalie being ruined. �Okay, everyone, just, um, don�t panic�For all we know, the power will be back on in no time, so try and�do�something�until it is,� Dana advised. She was wrong. The power wasn�t back on as of three hours later. �Dammit,� she muttered to Natalie, who was sitting in her office again. She�d lit the candles on the window sill, and the flames danced, casting an ominous glare across the walls of the room. �Dana, it�s gonna be fine.� �You know what would be typical? The lights would come on just in time for us to broadcast, but we wouldn�t have anything TO broadcast.� �It�s gonna be okay, Dana, it�ll work somehow.� �You�re an expert all of a sudden?� �Dana-� �Is it me, or is it getting colder in here?� Dana asked, standing to get her coat and gloves. �You�re�you�re right. There�s no heat�it�s�oh, God, Dana�� �I know,� she said, nodding slightly. �I think Casey might still have some blankets in his closet�other than that, I don�t know what to do.� �I�I think I�m gonna go check on Jeremy and get my coat, too.� �Okay.� Natalie left, and as Dana sat there, she wondered how the rest of the staff was as well. Pulling her thin gloves onto her cold hands, she walked out of her office and to where Dan and Casey were � their office. They were sitting on the couch, coats, earmuffs, and gloves on. �So you�ve noticed.� �We�ve noticed that it�s cold? Yeah,� Dan replied. �It�s even colder here than in my office,� Dana stated. �It�s pretty cold, yeah,� Casey agreed. �Listen. I�m gonna go check on Jeremy�last I knew he was in the kitchen�I should go see what he�s up to,� Dan said. He left, and Dana sat down beside Casey on the couch. �You okay?� he asked her. �What? Yeah, I�m fine.� �Good.� �Cold.� �Yeah.� �Very cold.� �I know.� �Do you still have the blankets in the closet?� �Nope, sorry�I took them out once I got the new apartment and had room again.� �Oh.� �C�mere,� Casey said, patting the space beside him. She scooted over closer to him. Taking one arm out of the coat sleeve, he wrapped the jacket partially around her as best he could. As she snuggled slightly against him, she couldn�t help but think that it was nice. It had been a long time since they�d been close � mostly due to her pushing him away with the six-month plan fiasco. At the same time, in the kitchen, Jeremy was frantically opening cabinets only to slam them shut again. �Damn it, isn�t there any food in this place?!� �Hungry, Jeremy?� Dan asked, coming up behind him. �I�m not, no, but I�ve gotta make something.� �Okay�� �If we can�t go to dinner, dinner�s coming to us.� �Got it.� �I�m making dinner for Natalie. But only if I can find food.� �That usually helps.� �All I�ve found so far is a can of tunafish and a box of crackers.� �Any mayo?� �Dan-� ��Cause you could make tunafish and crackers.� �True.� Opening the fridge, he put his arms up in victory. �Cookie dough!� �That�s your romantic dinner?� �It�s either her favorite cookies or tuna, which I�m allergic to.� �I see your point.� �Plus, you see this?� He held up a tube of frosting. �Yeah�� �Decoration.� �Okay.� �If only I knew how to use it well.� �Jeremy, have you checked the craft service table?� His eyes lit up. �Food!� ~*~*~*~ �Dana?� �What?� she asked groggily. �Don�t go to sleep.� �Why not?� �Because it�s dangerous when it�s so cold.� �Why?� �Hypothermia.� �Yeah�right�� She sighed. Natalie bounded in. �Hey, guys, look what I found!� She held up a warm-looking blanket. �There was a little �Emergency Supply� kit under the desk in the control room. There were like two blankets in there, so I brought one to you guys.� �Thanks!� Dana exclaimed, suddenly a little more awake. Natalie set it on top of them, then turned to leave. �Hey, have either of you seen Jeremy?� �Nope. Last I knew Dan was heading out to find him,� Casey said. �Okay. I�ll see you guys later,� she called as she left. �Casey?� Dana asked nervously. �Yeah?� �I can�t feel my fingers.� �Your gloves are too thin�� He took her hands in his own � or, rather, he took her hands in his giant marshmallow mittens � and rubbed them to try and get feeling back in them. �Can you feel them now?� �Not really, I�yes�� she groaned as feeling began to come back, with pins and needles in her fingers so badly they made her want to cry. �They hurt?� he asked gently. �Yeah.� �I know you don�t think of it like this, but it�s a good sign.� �It is?� �It means there�s circulation back in them.� �Yeah�how�d you learn all this anyways?� �I lived for like 15 years in Minnesota, Dana. How could I not?� �Point taken.� He pulled the blanket close around both of them. �Are you getting any warmer?� �A little.� �Good.� �Yeah.� �And maybe the heat will be on soon.� �Maybe.� ~*~*~*~ �Jeremy? Jeremy, where are you?� Natalie called out through the newsroom. She saw candle-light coming from the conference room and decided to investigate. �Jeremy?� She opened the door and stopped in shock. Set up on the table was a setting of paper plates and plastic cups, a small plant which Natalie recognized from Dana�s office in the center, a few candles around it. Sandwiches were on top of the plates, and beside each plate was a cookie. �Hey, Natalie,� Jeremy said nervously. �Hi, I�what is all this?� �Dinner.� �Because we couldn�t go out to dinner the traditional way?� �Right.� �So you made me dinner?� �Yeah.� �You�re so cute!� She said, grinning widely, as she kissed him. �Do you know how hard it was to scrounge up food around here?� �I can imagine.� �Sit down and eat.� She did so, then asked, �What�s going on, Jeremy?� �What do you mean?� �You�ve been acting weird the past week.� �Have I?� He laughed nervously. �Well, um�about that.� He kneeled down in front of her. �Natalie, I love you more than anything else. I can�t imagine living without you, and I don�t want to have to. Which is why I�m asking�� He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring box. �I�m asking�will you marry me?� The squeal could be heard all over the office. |