Ashley laughed. "Gee, thanks, Tay."

He laughed with her and touched her bare knee. "I'm joking, baby."

She rolled her eyes. "Sure you are."

Taylor smiled and leaned over, kissing her neck.

"Tay, I'm trying to drive."

He ignored her. "No one's home. Why don't you come inside when we get home?"

Ashley thought a minute. "Okay."

He kissed her neck one last time then returned to his seat.

"Um, Zac? You're pager is going off." Dawn informed him.

Zac walked out of the bathroom and picked his pager off the dresser. "It's Ike."

Dawn grabbed the phone and tossed it to him.

"Thanks," he dialed the number his brother had punched into his pager.

"Hello?" A female voice answered.

"Hi, is Isaac Hanson there?" he asked.

"Hi, Zac. It's Michelle. I'll get Ike for you. Hang on a sec."

"Thanks, Shelly." Zac said.

Dawn looked over at him suspeciously. "Who's Shelly?"

Zac covered the phone. "Ike's girlfriend."

"Oh."

Isaac finally got to the phone. "Hey, Zac."

"Oh hey, Ike. What do you want?"

"Gee. that's a wonderful way to greet your older brother." Isaac said sarcastically.

Zac rolled his eyes. "Sorry. Please tell me what you need with me, Ike."

"Well, guess what."

"Ike, I don't have time for games."

"I asked Michelle to marry me."

Zac's mouth dropped open. "What?"

"And she said yes."

Ashley pulled into the Hanson's driveway and turned her car off.

Taylor opened her door and helped her out of the car. He put his arm around her waist as they walked up the steps to the front door. He put the key into lock and swung the door open.

Ashley started to walk in, but he stopped her "What are you doing?". She let out a yelp of surprise as he llifted her off the ground."Again I ask, what are you doing?" She wrapped her arms around his neck for protection.

He leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers. "I'm practicing."

She frowned as he carried her into the house. "Practicing what?"

Taylor grinned. "Carrying you over the thresh hold."

Ashley's heart pounded. She smiled. I'm so lucky to have him, she thought to herself. She expected him to put her down once he shut the door, but he started carrying her upstairs. "Tay, you're gonna hurt your back."

He laughed. "Yeah right. How much do you weigh? Twenty pounds?"

She slapped his shoulder. "I'm not telling you!"

He laughed and laid her on the bed. "How come? I know you can't possibly weigh more than ninty-five pounds." he smiled and laid down beside her.

Ashley rolled her eyes and got up.

Taylor groaned. "Come on, Ash. Lay down beside me." he patted the space next to him on the bed. He gently took her arm and pulled her back.

She took a deep breath and laid on her side, facing him.

He smiled and carressed the side of her face. "I love you, Ashley."

Zac hung up the phone in a daze. Isaac? Married? He just couldn't picture it.

"Zac? Are you okay?" Dawn asked, concerned.

He sat down on her bed slowly.

"Zac, what did he say?"

"He asked Michelle to marry him. And she said yes."

Dawn's mouth dropped. "What!"

Zac nodded. "My actions exactly."

Taylor kissed Ashley aggresivally as he moved to cover her.

Ashley felt him start to move his hands up her shirt, and start to mess with the clasp on her bra.

He felt her tense. He sighed. "Ash, are you ready for this? If you're not, I don't want to rush you. I want you to be completely comfortable with me. You know I love you more than anything in the world. And I will wait for you." he whispered in her ear.

Ashley took a deep breath. "Okay," she whispered.

Taylor looked into her eyes through the darkness.. "Really? Are you sure?"

She hesitated, then slowly nodded.

Dawn and Zac curled up on the couch to watch "The Wedding Singer."

"This movie is old." Zac commented.

"I know, but it's so sweet." Dawn said as she cuddled against him.

"What's so sweet about a cocktail waitress and a washed up rockstar falling in love? Although, Drew Berrymore does look pretty hot in that uniform." he paused, grinned evily. "You know, you should get one of those uniforms. You know, for foreplay."

Dawn rolled her eyes.

They took it slow. Taylor wanted to pace himself so he wouldn't scare her...or hurt her. He watched her face and thought she looked more beautiful than he had ever seen her, with the moonlight washing over her flushed face. He smiled down at her before removing his shirt..

Ashley forced a shy smile. She was scared. How can he be so calm about this?

He took her hands and slowly placed them on the button of his baggy chords. He nodded reasuringly at her.

Slowly, Ashley unsurely unbuttoned and unzipped his pants.

Taylor moved to the side and kick them off, as if they were restricting him. He then started to work on her blue-jean shorts. He felt her momentarilly tense up, but then relaxed. He unzipped them and slowly slid them off. Then he repostioned himself on top of her and started undoing her shirt.

After they were completely undressed, and Taylor protected himself, and her, they slowed down even more.

He took her hands gently in his. "Are you sure you want to do this, baby?" he asked, a hint of nerviousness in his own voice.

She nodded.

Taylor positioned himself to enter her, placing her legs around his waist.

Ashley closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the pain.

He wiped the hair off of her forehead. "Don't tense up, Ash. It'll hurt worse." he kissed her forhead and as gently as he could, slid himself into her.

She gasped at the sudden penatration. She felt hot tears spring to her eyes. "Oh God."

"It's okay, baby. The pain will stop." he reasured her. He easily started to move inside her.

Ashley waited for the pain to subside. Finally, it eased off, and she buried her face in Taylor's neck.

Taylor moved himself off of her. He looked down into her eyes and noticed tears had forned in them. "Did it hurt that bad?" he whispered as he pulled the blanket up over them, putting his arm around her waist to comfort her, and smoothed down her hair.

The tears slowly cascaded down her cheek. "It's not that."

He watched her and wiped the tears off her face with his fingertips."Then what?"

"There's something I have to tell you." she confessed to him.

He kissed her cheek. "What is it, baby?"

The stream of tears increased when she looked down at the bed and saw blood. "Oh God."

Taylor followed her gaze. "Oh no. Are you okay?"

She shook her head.

"Don't worry, I'll clean it up before anyone sees it." he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Taylor..." her crying and sobbing were uncontrolable now.

Taylor became worried. "What baby? Just tell me."

"Jamie tried to rape me!"